Return of the Destroyed
by Black Mage Dad
Summary: Three years have passed and Garland wreaks havoc upon Gaia once more. Now it is up to Zidane, Kuja, the crew, and some lost ghosts of Terra to keep their world from repeating its mistakes. [Complete]
1. Unholy Memories

A/N: Hola! Me llamo Black Mage Dad! Whoa. That sounds weird. Anyhow, let me dish out some details before this story continues. Okay, I've posted several stories similar to this but THEY'RE ALL THE SAME THING! *Huffs angrily* I deleted them though *smiles smugly* This is the COMPLETE version! The one I WANTED! And it's set after the game. It's pretty interesting if you just follow the plot. Actually, it gets a bit strange. And there are a few new characters who will show up in the next few chapters. And, uh, this chapter too. And the "newbie" in this chapter is really cute (as in bishónen cute) when you get to know him better later. But I'm not revealing his name in this chapter and I'm dying to get to him! Gah! *Sighs* So, read on and have fun!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own nothin' . . .  
  
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Silence. There was nothing but silence. It was so dark, he couldn't see a hand in front of his face. His mind was floating through nothingness, drifting aimlessly amongst the vast darkness of sleep once more. He was going back. Farther back than he ever wished to remember or could possibly even recall. Yet the image was vivid, like a movie projected onto a screen, flickering at moments where the pieces didn't quite fit. And he had no control over his destination.  
  
Kuja drew his legs in close to his body, curling himself tightly into a ball and hugging his knees snuggly to his chest. The weightlessness of floating through the void made his feel sick and the realization that there was nothing beneath his feet was somehow even more frightening. The silver- haired sorcerer remained in place, emptiness stretching out far beyond imagination above, below, and on all sides. Kuja stifled a sob, burying his head in his arms and trying desperately to shut himself off from what he knew was coming next.  
  
"Why do I have to see this again?!" he moaned miserably, hunching his shoulders. "Why can't you just leave me in peace?!"  
  
There was, of course, no answer. Kuja slowly raised his head, staring with exhausted, glazed eyes into the emptiness around him. Carefully, he unwound himself so that his legs were tucked beneath him, bent carefully to the side. The young man was almost afraid to move, wondering if a sudden gesture wouldn't simply send him sprawling out into space. Glaring at the infernal darkness, Kuja, beyond frustrated, swung a fist through the air, letting out an agitated cry. Naturally, his punch went nowhere and he was left even more ruffled than before, breathing heavily as he sat back down on his heels.  
  
The feeling of aloneness was horribly uncomfortable, causing Kuja to shiver and wrap his beautiful, silver-furred tail around his ankle, squeezing it comfortingly. There was no way to call for help. No one would hear him. He was absolutely, positively, alone.  
  
The sorcerer waited, his bright blue eyes gazing up at the nothingness above him as if he expected something to happen. Unfortunately, he forgot that he was supposed to look down.  
  
With a sudden jerking sensation, the entire world tilted, throwing him completely off balance. With a yelp of surprise, Kuja went tumbling sideways, falling swiftly through the blackness. Wind whipped wildly at his face, icy cold, and he shut his eyes, waiting for the drop to end. He spiralled out of control for what seemed like forever, his hair blowing in the gale, his arms holding himself tightly as if he were afraid the screaming wind would rip him apart.  
  
Then, as suddenly as it had started, Kuja found himself standing in a dark room, his feet shifting upon the cold tile flooring. He allowed his eyes to adjust for a moment before turning slowly on his heel, wondering for a moment if the image laid out before him was the same one he had seen countless times before.  
  
Suddenly, there was a flash of light as if a patch of time itself were being yanked out of the universe, and Kuja found himself staring at a young boy who seemed unaware that another person was in the room with him. The youth had not entered the dark corridor nor opened any doors. He was just . . . there . . .  
  
The child stood still, his right side facing Kuja within touching distance of the baffled young man. The boy was still a tyke, probably around twelve years old at the most. His feathery hair was a dazzling silver, pulled back into a short ponytail and a long, ivory-furred tail poked out of his strange, purple pants, snaking back and forth across the ground, sweeping the tiles gently. The boy's skin was paler than cold moonlight.  
  
Kuja reached out slowly for the child, his eyes shining inquisitively. The little boy gave a rather unsure glimpse forwards as his eyes focused upon something in front of him, and Kuja's fingers barely brushed the back of the child's collar before the boy stepped out of the way and began to creep forward, a small, dancing flame flickering within his open palm.  
  
Kuja watched the glow of faint light for a moment before attempting to take a step forward and follow the boy. However, something pulled him back and he found himself locked in place, eyes widening by the moment as he realized he was unable to move.  
  
Just as panic began to set in, Kuja suddenly found himself hurtling forward, still in a standing position, the furnishings of the room shooting by dangerously close. The young man squeezed his eyes shut and held his arms bent out in front of him, desperately trying to shield himself from potential road-blocks.  
  
/This is it . . ./ Kuja thought miserably to himself, forgetting that what he saw was nothing more than a dream. /My life is over. This trip is going to kill me for sure./  
  
WHOOSH! With a screeching halt that the silver-haired sorcerer was NOT expecting, the world slammed to a stop. Kuja nearly fell forward from the sudden force of flying a hundred miles per hour and putting the breaks on at the last minute. He threw his hands out in front of him, trying desperately to catch his balance. After a moment in which the warlock was sure he was going to be sick, Kuja carefully straightened himself, still a little dizzy from the flight.  
  
"Well if that didn't just defy the laws of inertia . . ." the sorcerer muttered, slapping a hand to his forehead and taking a shaky step backwards in an attempt to steady himself. Nervously, he raised his eyes, taking in his surroundings.  
  
He was no longer standing in the front area of the corridor, that was for sure. The atmosphere seemed to have moved to the back of the room. It was darker. A lot darker. The new section was different . . . creepier . . . Kuja cast an anxious glance around the area, wondering briefly where the little boy had gone to.  
  
Suddenly, he heard a faint clatter beside him and he jerked his head in the direction of the sound. There was the child once more, trying - and failing - to sneak quietly through the clutter hidden within the stifling darkness. Unfortunately, the young one was succeeding only in knocking chairs and other items noisily to the floor. Kuja frowned slightly.  
  
/You do that every time I watch this./ The sorcerer thought bitterly. /When will you ever learn, you stupid child?!/  
  
The little boy brushed past the silver-tailed genome, his eyes never even glancing in the elder's direction. Kuja huffed slightly and followed the youth, massaging his temples furiously as he watched the drama unfold once more. He was becoming really sick of the whole thing.  
  
Before his very eyes, the room became dotted with winking green and red lights, the whir of machines droning over the buzz of computers and laptops. The two were in a lab, the cold, steel tables cluttered with beakers and bottles of strange colored chemicals, odd (and sometimes rather disturbing) instruments, and tubes still smoking from their last use.  
  
/Not TOO cheerful . . ./ Kuja thought sarcastically, noticing a syringe with the thickest needle he had ever seen in his life lying right near his elbow. He figured it could be used on nothing smaller than an elephant. Or possibly Queen Brahne . . .  
  
Watching the young boy out of the corner of his eye, Kuja shivered as he felt the temperature in the room drop considerably. He rubbed his arms numbly in a feeble attempt to remain warm, and watched his breath rise gently into the air before him.  
  
The little silver-haired youth accompanying him in the room was staring at the space at the end of the lab in which sat dozens of large six-foot-tall pod-like structures, lined up in long rows of seven or eight each like soldiers upon a battle-field. They were a metallic gray and egg-shaped with thick, many colored wires tangled in a mass behind them. Each of the enormous capsules had a window carved into the front, right at eye-level, with tinted olive-green glass. A mysterious, smoky steam which Kuja had never, in all the times he had watched the event, noticed before, was drifting and swirling lazily upon the floor, at least three inches deep. The sorcerer furrowed his brow, trying to recall what he usually saw after the current part. It was difficult to grasp. He rarely made it past the young boy's entrance.  
  
/Strange . . ./ Kuja acknowledged thoughtfully to himself, tapping a finger against his chin. /I don't remember this dream ever being so clear before . . ./  
  
Like a ton of bricks falling atop his head, Kuja remembered with a sudden gasp what horrors he was about to witness next.  
  
"Oh no . . ." he hissed, feeling his heart drop like a stone.  
  
The warlock shut his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, wishing he could just wake up and leave everything behind. Why did he have to relive It again?! Why?! Why did they torture him so?! But he knew there was no escape. Whatever his mind wanted him to see, he HAD to see. End of discussion.  
  
Accepting his fate, the young man raised his eyelids wearily, preparing to witness the dread-scene once more.  
  
Just like always, a man stepped out from behind one of the pods, his mouth twisted into a malicious grin. Kuja could not see him clearly through the steam and dim lighting but he didn't have to. He remembered the demon exactly.  
  
"So you've returned . . ." the man hissed, his voice like a gentle breeze blowing through tall, green grass; barely above a whisper. The sound was not pleasant. The little boy froze, fists clenched at his side, extinguishing the flame in his hand immediately with a small hiss. He said nothing. Kuja felt his stomach knot horribly.  
  
"Well? Aren't you going to speak?" the young man leaning against the nearest pod queried, tilting his head to the side. "Or are you too stupid to form words like the others?"  
  
The twelve-year-old stood there, mouth gaping open like a fish out of water - trying to gulp in air but finding none. This seemed to amuse the man greatly.  
  
"Funny," he commented. "I heard you were a smart one," he chuckled as if he doubted it. "Oh well . . . I guess anything can seem smart in this one- track hell-hole. Even you!" he glanced quizzically at the child, waiting for a response.  
  
/Speak!/ Kuja thought desperately, wishing his commands had an affect. /Defend yourself!/  
  
The little boy did neither; just stood there perfectly erect, his eyes wide as he stared at the man shrouded in smoky mist before him. The other continued to talk, ignoring Kuja.  
  
"Funny," he sneered again. "You don't look as powerful as they say you are, either. Why is that?" there was a moment of silence.  
  
"Say something!" Kuja cried aloud; his words falling upon deaf ears. The little boy's eyes were watering. The other man continued as if enjoying the frightened look upon the child's face.  
  
"It's true then, what they say," the man deemed, letting himself fall side- ways against the glinting pod. He began twiddling his thumbs, pretending to be bored. "How you got rid of The Second and stuff. Man . . . What a cowardly thing to do . . ."  
  
Kuja began to clench his fists angrily, feeling the blood pumping through his body hard.  
  
"Damn you!" he shouted, kicking hard at a large, steel table next to him. His leg went right through it and he cursed angrily. "What is the point of me seeing this?! It's one isolated moment in time! It affects nothing!" he turned back to the nightmare, running a hand through his hair in frustration. The little boy still stood there petrified, the other speaking quietly to him.  
  
"What is it that makes you so special?" the older man queried, folding his arms over his chest and nestling himself comfortably against the pod's door. "You don't look so great to me. Actually, to be quite honest, you look almost wan," he gestured over the child's image, his eyes taking in the boy's frightened appearance. "I mean, your hair is colorless, your skin is sickly pale, and is it just me or are you, like, really, really skinny?" he burst out laughing, his voice drenching the room in an icy chill. "God! It looks like I could snap you in half over my knee!" he exclaimed, pointing a mocking finger at the young boy.  
  
Kuja gritted his teeth angrily.  
  
"Leave him alone!" he cried out, taking an unsteady step forward. Of course, no one heard him. He did not exist to them. The man continued on, his never-ending, poisonous words seeping through Kuja's miserable psyche. He couldn't stand that foul laugh! He couldn't then and he couldn't now!  
  
The strange human by the pods began drawing circles in the air with his index finger, obviously really, REALLY bored.  
  
"So, why do you keep coming in here?" he asked, glancing up from his air- doodles to stare deep into the silver-haired tyke's eyes. The little one took a cautious step backwards.  
  
"Wh-what do you mean?" he stammered, speaking the first words since he had entered the lab. The sinister-looking man shook his head disgustedly.  
  
"Oh please . . . As if I didn't know," he teased, not taking his eyes off the little boy. "You come in here every day. Maybe that's why you're such a failure. You're too curious,"  
  
Ouch.  
  
That had hit a nerve.  
  
The child's body stiffened and he bared his teeth angrily. The boy finally seemed ready to stand up for his already stomped-on pride.  
  
"I am NOT a failure!" he shouted, stamping his foot angrily. The other man waved a hand absently, brushing away the comment, a faint smile upon his face.  
  
"Sure . . ." he chuckled. "I'm not stupid, you know. You are second best and you will ALWAYS be second best. It's just 'cause you got rid of Him that you feel like Top-Dog around here. Well all that's gonna change real soon,"  
  
The little boy seemed suddenly unsure. "What do you mean?"  
  
Kuja kneaded his forehead exasperatedly, knowing what would happen next.  
  
"Here it comes . . ." he whispered, half-listening.  
  
"You mean you haven't heard?" the man taunted, cocking his head curiously.  
  
"Heard what?" the child asked, frowning slightly.  
  
"Well that's odd. I would have thought you'd be the first to hear about That,"  
  
"About what?!"  
  
The strange identity seemed to be enjoying his game far too much.  
  
"What a pity . . ."  
  
The little boy balled his fists once more, his tail thrashing through the air in agitation.  
  
"What's a pity?!"  
  
The man sighed heavily, pretending to wipe at his eyes. Through the machine-lights reflecting off the smoke, Kuja could see that he was, in fact, smiling with delight.  
  
"Look in the back room," the man whispered as if telling a great secret. "It's such a shame,"  
  
The little boy glared uncertainly at the man and brushed past Kuja, squeezing his way through the pods into the restricted back room. Kuja turned away, horrified.  
  
"Not again . . ." he pleaded silently to himself.  
  
Suddenly, he felt as if an icy claw were wrapping itself around his spine sending icicles sliding down his back. Flinching with surprise, Kuja whipped around -  
  
- And found himself face to face with the man himself, in clear view.  
  
"What the hell?!" Kuja cried out in surprise. The man laughed, his bright green eyes scoping straight through the sorcerer's soul.  
  
"So, you have returned . . ." he said calmly, tilting his head thoughtfully. "It's like dejá vu or something. Why do you always come back here?"  
  
Kuja refused to meet the man's cold glare.  
  
"I do not come here of my own accord," he said stiffly, folding his arms over his chest. The man nodded, furrowing his brow.  
  
"Uh . . . huh . . ." after a moment he brightened considerably. "This part sure is fun isn't it?" he joked, staring hard at Kuja. The silver-tailed genome gave him an icy look.  
  
"You're an asshole, you know that?"  
  
"Mhm . . ."  
  
"And I hate you!"  
  
"Why?" the man seemed genuinely curious. "Is it because I'm better than you? Or because I exposed your flaws? Or because every night when you go to sleep you remember and you realize how much more you truly despise me?"  
  
"You're not real . . ." Kuja choked out, on the brink of tears. He trembled and turned away, hugging himself hopelessly. "You're probably nothing more than a corpse in a tank by now!"  
  
"How can you be sure?" the green-eyed man asked, stepping sideways so that he could see the warlock better. "I was once real; why couldn't I be now? After all, back then I expected you to not be 'real' within another year. Being the disappointment that you are I'm surprised your ass isn't frozen somewhere on the Forgotten Continent by now,"  
  
"Shut up . . ." Kuja sobbed dejectedly, wiping roughly at his eyes. The man smiled, his eyes narrowing despicably.  
  
"Go ahead, cry. After all, this isn't real,"  
  
"But it once was," Kuja snapped at him, looking over his shoulder vigorously.  
  
"Ah, so you admit it,"  
  
"I - I have to . . ."  
  
"Good,"  
  
Kuja opened his mouth to object when he heard the Sound - that dreadful sound that would haunt him for the rest of his life.  
  
CRASH!  
  
Glass shattering, steel snapping, sparks flying everywhere. Screams of anguish, liquid sloshing upon the floor. Curses, cries, shrieks. They burst forth from the behind the pods like thunder, bringing the very air around them to its knees.  
  
"Hmm . . . It's like music," the man pointed out, tilting his head to the side as he listened to the chaos exploding in the back room. Kuja flinched every time something shattered; every time the little boy screamed in agony. He stood there, shivering, while the person behind him hummed a tune to himself. Suddenly, Kuja whispered something so quietly that he could hardly hear it himself.  
  
"No more . . ."  
  
"Pardon me?"  
  
"No . . . more . . .!"  
  
"What'd you say?"  
  
Kuja began to quake with impetuous wrath. He turned around slowly, his eyes flashing menacingly.  
  
"I said NO! MORE! I've had ENOUGH!" he lunged forward, aiming a fist at the young green-eyed man. The other dodged quickly, guffawing to himself.  
  
"Ah, the memories!" he exclaimed, his eyes dancing bemusedly as Kuja flung himself around, breathing hard as his eyes shot death-beams through his enemy. "You really should learn to control that temper of yours, Kuja," he raised his eyes to the ceiling for a moment as if calculating something in his head before nodding. "I do believe he should be returning about now, don't you?"  
  
Kuja said nothing. There was an agonizing buzz in his ears that made him want to puke. And sure enough - right on cue - the little boy went flying out of the back-room, drenched in blood and chemicals. There was shards of glass stuck in his ivory hair and his clothes were ripped to shreds. He was covering his face, trying to hide his tears which flowed in tiny rivulets down his face. Kuja stepped out of the way as the child tore past him, his eyes glazing sadly. The young man next to him smirked as if watching some sort of ridiculous comedy.  
  
"Stupid child . . ." he joked to himself, wrapping a strand of dark brown hair around his finger.  
  
Kuja glowered at him.  
  
"It's all your fault!" he accused, his tail falling limply to the floor.  
  
"Oh, he would have found out eventually," the antagonist responded, brushing away the comment as if it were nothing more than an annoying fly. He gave Kuja a quiet, thoughtful look.  
  
"There is more to the past than meets the eye," he instructed. Staring blankly, he left Kuja to ponder those words. Abruptly, the man burst out laughing. It echoed through the entire lab, rattling in Kuja's mind. Suddenly, the sorcerer's stomach did a flip-flop and the silver-haired man found himself shooting into the air like a bullet, the lab and the man becoming nothing more than specks beneath him, shrinking smaller and smaller every second. But the laughter remained the same, booming like a roaring waterfall in his ears. Kuja shut his eyes, drowning out the sound.  
  
And then he was back in bed once more . . .  
  
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"Oh holy shit!" Kuja gasped, sitting up quickly. He stared into the darkness for a full minute, the laughter still ringing through his mind. Hurriedly, he ripped the covers off his legs and climbed out of bed, rubbing his face agitatedly. He stumbled over to the mirror and placed his hands against the dresser, steadying himself. The sorcerer stared at the stranger glaring back at him and frowned.  
  
"Damn you . . ." he hissed, straightening himself. He turned around grumpily, grumbling to himself and scratching his head. "Damn everything . . ."  
  
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"You look dead," Megan stated simply, looking across the kitchen table at the silver-haired boy who had just entered the room and slumped down into a chair, pursing his lips. Kuja gave her an exhausted look.  
  
"Really? Well, you don't look all that great either,"  
  
"Kick the ball, not the ball player," Megan instructed, though a faint smile floated around her lips.  
  
Megan was a very lovely girl. The sort of girl guys loved to date . . . and loved to take advantage of. She was sweet and intelligent, with a bit of a "bitchy" side when necessary. Her face was framed by cashew-brown hair and her eyes were the color of hot chocolate. A few freckles were splashed across her nose and cheeks and a pair of glasses were resting upon the bridge of her nose. The young woman was cradling a cup of coffee in her hands, using them to warm up her numb fingers.  
  
The pair lapsed into silence, Kuja gazing out the window at the awakening morning. A small robin sat upon a nearby oak-tree, chirping merrily. The sky was still a dusty gray in the morning light. However, the faintest warmth of sunlight could be seen just over the horizon.  
  
"So what's wrong?" Megan finally asked, looking up from her coffee to gaze at the person across from her. Kuja was immediately on the defensive.  
  
"Nothing!"  
  
Megan frowned. "Don't lie to me! I can read you like a book!"  
  
"Cannot!" Kuja shot back, grinning. Megan set her cup down and raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Maturity level going DOWN!" a boisterous voice called from the hallway followed by heavy footsteps. Kuja and Megan looked up from the table to see an old woman flounce into the room, doing a little jig. Her hair was a frizzy gray and her beady eyes were crinkled with delight.  
  
"Grandma!" Megan whined, blushing considerably. Her grandmother chuckled and danced up to the sink to wash her hands, giggling at the pair. Kuja couldn't help but smile.  
  
The Yorokobi family was small, consisting only of Megan, her mother, and her father's mother. The two eldest specialized in herbs and medicines, running their own small healing store and item shop. The youngest was unemployed, surviving off her family. Kuja had lived with them for over two and a half years, helping them in their shop. He was thankful for their hospitality.  
  
And other things . . .  
  
Megan's grandmother frowned, turning away from the sink.  
  
"Where is that lazy daughter-in-law of mine?" she fizzed, storming towards the kitchen door. "If we don't get out of here soon, the shift'll be plum over!"  
  
Megan chuckled as she watched the old woman charge out of the room, not one sign of old age in her entire attitude. After a moment, the young girl went back to sipping her coffee and Kuja went back to staring at the table, trying to block the laughter out of his head.  
  
"I heard you crying last night," Megan said suddenly, her voice remaining surprisingly firm. Kuja looked up at her sharply, frowning.  
  
"I didn't cry last night," he said truthfully, crinkling his forehead. Megan reached for another cube of sugar and dropped it into her decaf with a small plink. Kuja watched the ripples quietly, feeling uncomfortable.  
  
"Nightmares again?" Megan queried, looking deep into Kuja's eyes. Kuja hated when she did that. It made him feel so . . . vulnerable . . .  
  
"It's just stupid," he said absently, running his fingers through his hair. Reluctantly, Megan pulled off the subject.  
  
She couldn't tell him that whatever nightmares he'd had couldn't be as bad as her own . . .  
  
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A/N: Well . . . that was . . . interesting . . . Next chapter should be up soon ('cause I already wrote it, hehe). But I won't post it unless I get at least THREE reviews! Sounds pitiful, yes, but I never have much luck. Thanks for reading (if you really did *cough* Feathery Kuja *cough*) and remember, at least THREE reviews! Or this story goes bye-bye (again *grumble grumble*). 


	2. Song of Strength

A/N: Oh my goodness! I got three reviews for the first chapter! I'm sorry to say but that's the best I've ever gotten! Freaky . . . Well, I sure hope I get that lucky this time. Whaddya say people? Three more? Four? Please? I'd be very happy! You know the drill . . . Anyhow, this chapter might seem a little confusing but it will make sense later as the story goes on. I've already started work on the third chapter so if you people want more, than just tell me ^_^ Read and Review! And have fun!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't even own half the concepts in this chapter . . . Damn . . .  
  
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"Alone for awhile . . . I've been searching through the dark . . . For . . . traces of the love you left . . . inside my lonely heart . . . To weave . . . by picking out the pieces that . . . remain . . . melodies . . . of life . . . love's lost . . . refrain . . ."  
  
Zidane stopped, his eyes glistening. There was a moment of silence before he broke down entirely. It had taken awhile for the weight of the situation to finally hit him but now that it had he couldn't keep it in any longer. The tears began to pour down his face, spilling over his cheeks and dropping with little splashes onto his bleeding, dirty hands.  
  
"Damn . . . Damn it . . ." Zidane spluttered, rubbing at his eyes. "Stupid . . . Stupid tree . . . Stupid . . . promises . . . stupid . . . stupid brother . . . stupid, stupid, stupid . . ."  
  
He pulled his legs in and buried his face in his knees, crying to himself. He did not realize that someone else was listening.  
  
"Zidane . . ." he heard the voice whisper faintly. "Don't . . . stop . . . singing . . ."  
  
Zidane blinked and raised his head, eyes red from crying.  
  
" . . . What?"  
  
The response was so strained, the young genome hardly heard it.  
  
"Keep . . . singing . . ."  
  
Zidane pulled himself onto his knees, pressing on his hands as he leaned forward slightly.  
  
"Kuja?" he whispered, hesitating. Zidane listened for any sign that he wasn't talking to himself.  
  
"Zidane . . ." he heard the other person mumble.  
  
Zidane drew his breath in quickly, sucking upon the stale air of the Iifa Tree, and crawled towards his brother. When he was close enough to see the older man more clearly, he was crestfallen by the sight.  
  
Kuja was lying upon the bed of roots that made up their prison, his body resembling that of a chewed up rag doll. His beautiful silvery hair was strewn out around him, tangled and matted with dirt. His clothes were shredded, the sleeves nothing more than red, soaked tatters. His skin was caked in mud, just as Zidane's was, and the roots beneath him were drenched in shiny crimson blood. The once vibrant young sorcerer's eyes were clenched shut tightly in pain. Zidane could see from the bruises covering Kuja's torso that his brother was bleeding internally . . .  
  
"Oh geez, Kuja," Zidane nearly sobbed, closing the gap between himself and his injured sibling. He brushed some of Kuja's hair out of his face, peering sympathetically into the young warlock's eyes. Kuja turned his face away from the touch, mumbling something uncomprehensible.  
  
Zidane didn't know what else to do. His brother was going to die . . . The thought was so painful he just wanted to scream. But that wasn't going to help any. After a moment of silence in which all that could be heard was Kuja's ragged breathing, Zidane carefully laid himself down next to his brother and turned onto his side away from the first angel of death, sniffling. He hugged himself miserably, tears pouring silently down his face. He wasn't sure how long the two of them lay there like that before Zidane heard Kuja's choked request from next to him.  
  
"Keep . . . singing . . ." Kuja croaked, his eyes opening slowly. They were pale; dead. There was no life left within him.  
  
"Why . . .?" Zidane sputtered bitterly, staring at the wall of roots across from him. They reminded the blonde of prison bars. They would never let him out. "I can't sing anymore, Kuja. I'm sorry . . ."  
  
"Sing . . ." Kuja nearly whined, his voice cracking. "Sing . . ."  
  
"I can't . . ."  
  
Kuja whimpered and Zidane was suddenly struck by how horrible their end would be. Memories of his brother's former glory (and his own) flooded back upon him, washing his eyes of all their tears.  
  
/Flash/  
  
I will present you a marvelous display of my power. I am certain you will be most pleased.  
  
/Flash/  
  
"Kuja?" Zidane whispered, his eyes blurring as he gazed at the inner heart of the Iifa Tree.  
  
/Flash/  
  
I'm not done telling how to make soulless toys out of the dregs of souls.  
  
/Flash/  
  
"Kuja, I'm sorry,"  
  
"Don't be . . ."  
  
"No, I am. I should have gotten us out of the Iifa Tree before it sealed itself. I failed . . ."  
  
/Flash/  
  
Lives come and go all the time. What's the big deal?  
  
/Flash/  
  
Zidane felt as if something were ripping his chest out, pulling at his ribcage and trying to break it. There was a pressure building there that he desperately wanted to release.  
  
/Flash/  
  
The body becomes a vessel, which greets a new soul.  
  
/Flash/  
  
"No . . . I don't want a new soul . . ."  
  
Kuja said nothing. He knew what Zidane was thinking.  
  
"I want . . . to live . . ."  
  
Kuja coughed. Zidane could smell the blood.  
  
"I want . . . Dagger!"  
  
/Flash/  
  
No . . . You're not being selfish. You've done so much for us. If it weren't for you, I probably would've led a meaningless life. With you, I was able to see so much of the world and meet so many people. We faced many hardships, too . . . but . . . I think I finally know what's important. I'm so fortunate to have met you. I'll never forget our trip together. Thank you, Zidane. Promise me one thing . . . Please come back.  
  
/Flash/  
  
"I . . . I failed everyone . . ."  
  
Zidane felt Kuja's tail brush the back of his legs as it swept along the ground. The young genome thought about his friends. Those he would never see again. He thought about Freya and Vivi. Steiner and Eiko. And yes, he even thought about Quina and Amarant. How sad they had been when he left. And for what? Kuja was as good as dead. His injuries were fatal. The whole thing was fatal. What would Dagger say? Would she be lonely the rest of her life? Would she forget about her old "boyfriend" and marry another man? Would she love him?  
  
"Our paths, they did cross . . . Though I cannot say . . . just why . . . We met . . . we laughed . . . we held on fast . . . and then we said . . . goodbye . . ."  
  
As the words gushed forth from Zidane's mouth, flowing from the very source of agony within his chest, the young genome heard another voice joining his own - a voice so weak, it could hardly carry a tune.  
  
"And who'll hear the echoes . . . of stories . . . never told . . . Let them ring . . . out loud . . . till they . . . unfold . . ."  
  
Zidane knew that voice anywhere.  
  
"Kuja?" he whispered, blinking away the liquid burning in the back of his eyes. "Kuja, don't strain yourself. Really - "  
  
"In my dearest memories . . . I see you . . . reaching out to me . . ."  
  
Zidane hesitated, frowning. Then joined his brother once more.  
  
"Though you're gone . . . I still believe that you can call . . . out my name . . ."  
  
Their voices echoed off the walls, reverberating within the mossy chamber. The roots seemed to retreat slightly with their harmony.  
  
"The voice from the past . . . joining yours . . . and mine . . . adding up the layers . . . of harmony . . . and so it goes . . . on and on . . ."  
  
"So it goes . . . on and on . . ." Kuja echoed quietly.  
  
"Melodies of life . . . to the sky . . . beyond the . . . flying birds . . ."  
  
Kuja coughed and Zidane waited for his brother to finish. He clenched his knuckles as he heard the sorcerer choke upon his own life's blood.  
  
"Forever and beyond . . ."  
  
There was a pause. The words seemed to give strength to the dying young man. His eyes cleared slightly. "And if I should leave . . . this lonely world behind . . . your voice will still remember . . . our melody . . . Now I know we'll . . . carry on . . . Melodies of life . . . come circling round and grow deep . . . in our hearts . . ."  
  
They both stopped singing, waiting to see which one would finish the song. Kuja could not. Zidane did so for him.  
  
"As long as we remember . . ."  
  
They lapsed into silence. Kuja was gasping for breath, just from the effort of speaking. Zidane curled his tail around his own ankle to comfort himself.  
  
"Kuja . . . How do you know that song?" he inquired, a small frown upon his face. "I thought only the summoners knew it. I mean, I learned it from Dagger - er - Garnet,"  
  
Kuja shifted uncomfortably next to his brother and sighed.  
  
"They sang it when their village was destroyed . . ." he responded simply.  
  
Zidane knitted his brow together, not understanding. "What do you mean, they sang it when their village was destroyed?"  
  
Kuja took a deep gulp of air. "When the Invincible burned their village . . . many of them sang it . . . It gave them hope . . . Though none was left . . ."  
  
Zidane still did not understand. "How would you know this?"  
  
He was surprised to hear Kuja let out a small sob.  
  
"I did it . . ." he choked out, his shoulders shaking as he began to cry.  
  
"Kuja, what are you talking - "  
  
"I did it . . ." Kuja repeated faintly. "I destroyed their village . . . I was fourteen years old . . . Garland made me . . . I'm so sorry! I wanted to tell the queen . . . and the little summoner . . . but . . . but . . ." his voice faded into tears, something Zidane never would have expected from the first angel of death. He bit his lip, waiting for the silver-haired man to calm down.  
  
"Kuja, do you have any magic left?" he asked once Kuja had settled back to snuffling; bleary eyed, wishing desperately that he had an ether handy.  
  
"None . . ." Kuja whispered, wiping at his eyes with one gnarled hand. Zidane bit his lip harder, trying to think more clearly.  
  
"How are we going to get out of here?" he wondered aloud, rolling onto his back and staring up at the mossy ceiling. Kuja remained silent, his tail tapping the ground gently.  
  
"You know," the elder interjected. "If you would . . . No, I couldn't,"  
  
"Couldn't what?" Zidane threw his brother a suspicious glance. Kuja let out a shuddering sigh.  
  
"Well, if you'd let me, I might have just enough magic left to cast Osmose on you. . ."  
  
Zidane's brow creased. "What do you mean? You're going to drain magic from me?"  
  
"Well . . . yeah . . . But it would leave you very weak. And . . . I don't know if it would give me enough. I might become weak also," the warlock shook his head, wincing in pain. "Just forget it; it's too risky,"  
  
Zidane sat up quickly, brushing the dirt off his vest.  
  
"Well, Kuja, that's a chance I'm willing to take,"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Zidane? Zidane! You didn't answer my question,"  
  
"Wh-wha - ?"  
  
"You didn't answer my question,"  
  
"Dagger . . ."  
  
"What happened in the Iifa Tree?"  
  
"Dagger, please, not now . . ."  
  
"Zidane . . . What happened in the Iifa Tree . . .?"  
  
The blonde-haired genome glanced away from the young woman cuddled up against him, biting his lip once more. It seemed to have become a habit over the past few years and his lips were forever scarred and chapped. His previously resting arm came up to his face as he rubbed irritably at his eyes. Queen Garnet stared up at him hopefully, a rather forceful expression carved into her features.  
  
"Zidane - "  
  
/Flash/  
  
Kuja? Kuja, where are you?! KUJA!  
  
/Flash/  
  
"Listen, Dagger," Zidane tried to explain, curling a strand of her beautiful coffee-colored hair around his finger. "It's really not something I want to talk about. I mean, I just got back. Cut me some slack . . . please . . .?"  
  
Garnet frowned, narrowing her eyes slightly. However, she couldn't help but give in. It was true: he was back. And that was all that really mattered. But still, she couldn't help but wonder . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kuja stared at himself in the mirror. His hair was pulled back into a rather severe ponytail. It was kind of nice. Kind of cute. Kind of . . . not Kuja . . . But that was a good thing. Kuja was gone. Kuja had died. Not in the Iifa Tree. No, he had not been granted such luck. He had died later. During the journey. He shuddered. Mrs. Yorokobi, who was applying make-up to her face nearby, noticed.  
  
"What's the matter Feather?" she asked kindly though a faint hint of rash "motherness" remained in her tone. The people of the village - Katei - had affectionately nicknamed the silver-tailed genome "Feather." He thought the name suited him considering his past but had found it annoying at first. It sounded like something you'd name your pet bird. Which he most certainly was not . . . However, he had gotten used to the label and even come to like it. After all, his real name remained a mystery to them . . .  
  
"It's nothing," Kuja muttered, tilting his head to the side as he stared into the depths of the glass. "Just thinking . . ."  
  
"About what?" Mrs. Yorokobi moved in front of the frame herself, staring curiously at her own reflection next to him. She was a very graceful woman accentuated by curly blonde hair pulled back into a tight bun and pretty blue eyes. Small crows-feet were already forming around them from stress. But she still remained just as fair and beautiful as always. Kuja acknowledged vaguely to himself that she was the kind of woman he would have taken advantage of only a few years before. But not as much as he would have "enjoyed" her daughter . . .  
  
He quickly shook the thought out of his head and stared back into the mirror, frowning distastefully. Mrs. Yorokobi narrowed her eyes, grimacing slightly.  
  
"Feather . . ."  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
The question took the young sorcerer by surprise and he quickly cast a sharp look at the older woman. However, he remembered suddenly that he was no longer like that - sharp and stern - and his expression softened.  
  
"Why do you ask?" he queried lightly, raising his chin inquisitively. Mrs. Yorokobi shook her head, sighing.  
  
"It's just . . . that first day . . . when you came to Katei,"  
  
Kuja shut his eyes, taking a deep breath and releasing it. He wished he could just erase that whole event from the past.  
  
/Flash/  
  
Blook-soaked hands, curling in the dirt, shuddering.  
  
/Flash/  
  
Mrs. Yorokobi continued, ignoring the young man's silence.  
  
"It just seemed so . . . strange," she whispered, tapping her chin thoughtfully with one finger. "You seemed to come out of nowhere. And you never told us anything about yourself. You plead amnesia but we all know it's not true,"  
  
Kuja's lids snapped up abruptly.  
  
"I had a brother," he said suddenly, feeling the heat in the back of his eyes. Mrs. Yorokobi stared at him.  
  
"That was random," she commented, a faint smile twitching at the corners of her lips. Kuja just continued to stare at his reflection blankly.  
  
He yanked the ponytail out and let his hair fall limply over his shoulders once more.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: Well, that was fun! Kind of strange, yes, but still fun. And there will be more on Kuja's strange "entrance" later. It's actually kind of sad. Whoa . . . I just realized Megan's not in this chapter! Shoot! She's one of the main characters! Mrs. Yorokobi's not even a side-kick! Oh well, I'll stick her in the next . . . wait a second . . . I can't! The third chapter . . . well . . . no . . . Gah! I must get Megan in more somehow! *sigh* Okay. Read and review! At least three more reviews would be nice but I'll take even more if you want, hehe . . . 


	3. The Unseen People

A/N: I am so happy! I've gotten so many reviews for this story! I want to thank Girl with too many aliasses, SorsX, HarmonyIsarine, Athena, and Angel of Death 87 for all their wonderful support. You guys are great! And Athena, I know my reviews have bugged you about it a million times, but if you could please continue Origins of the Dark Messenger! That is such a great fan fic! Thanks a bunch, guys! And also, this next scene jumps to another person briefly. It's kind of strange. And if it seems a little out of character at first, I'll get into more detail about it later. There's actually a reason for it . . . So, have fun! Oh, and there's a little dirty language in this chapter too. Just a warning.  
  
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy is not my property. I merely live on it ^_-  
  
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"Nichio-Bi, Getsuyo-Bi, Kayo-Bi, let's go inside. Come, come," Mikoto calmly ushered the little black mages into the house, trying to get them out of the rain before their coats got wet; not that they could beneath those enormous hats. She smiled kindly at Suiyo-Bi who was gazing longingly outside despite the oncoming storm.  
  
"Now, now, Suiyo-Bi. Don't you want to look nice for Daddy?"  
  
"I wanna go outside . . ." the little mage muttered wistfully.  
  
But the genome didn't want the children to look too haggled when their father returned - which wouldn't be for several more days - so she gently guided Suiyo-Bi into the house with the others. Their father - Vivi - was still up in Alexandria, celebrating the return of his friend . . . and Mikoto's brother. She almost wished she could go up there and see him - it had been so long - but she didn't want to leave Master Vivi's children alone. And the other genomes depended on her. She had to teach them. And they were willing to learn.  
  
Then again, they were always willing to learn . . . No matter what they were being taught . . .  
  
When Mikoto finally had the last of the little tykes inside she took a step forward, prepared to follow them when suddenly -  
  
BAM!  
  
The door slammed shut right in her face. Mikoto froze and whipped around, blonde hair flying, tail poised warily in the air. A click told her that the door had locked from behind.  
  
"What in the - mmf!"  
  
A hand clapped over her mouth, silencing her immediately. Thinking fast, the third angel of death bit down hard. There was a cry and the mystery person let go of her face and cuffed the young girl hard, knuckles connecting with her right cheek. Mikoto yelped in pain and fell sideways from the blow.  
  
She threw out her hands to catch herself and scraped her palms considerably as she tumbled into the dirt. Shaking her head to clear it, the blonde genome straightened up once more and began squinting around everywhere for her oppressor.  
  
Her search was in vain . . .  
  
There was no one around . . .  
  
Frowning and thoroughly confused, Mikoto dragged herself to her feet, wiping her dirty, cut hands on her skirt. Had she just completely lost her mind . . .? But she could've sworn . . .  
  
Gently the young girl touched the raw spot on her cheek. There was a throbbing bruise forming there . . . But how . . .?  
  
The sharp point of a blade dug warningly into her back. Mikoto stiffened immediately. Her initial reaction was to retaliate, but she did not. Something deep inside told her to stay put.  
  
"All right, missy," someone hissed snake-like in her ear, prodding her with the blade. "You've got till the count of three to turn around and come with me,"  
  
Mikoto hesitated. The small pain in her back tightened. This was no ordinary weapon. She sensed great power within it . . .  
  
"One . . ."  
  
/Please let this be a joke./ Mikoto thought desperately, her mind searching frantically for a solution to the mess. What if the children looked out the window and saw?! She couldn't put them in that kind of danger! Thank heaven's for curtains . . .  
  
"Two . . ."  
  
/Okay, so maybe this isn't a joke . . . What am I going to do?! What does he want?! What would Zidane do?/  
  
Well, that was obvious . . .  
  
"Thr - "  
  
"HIYA!" Mikoto whipped around screaming and high-kicked the weapon out of his hand with a devastating blow. The device was thrust out of his fingers. It flew off to the side and clattered upon the ground with a sharp clang, spiraling for a moment before coming to rest near the trunk of a nearby tree. A drop of rain landed upon the ground next to it leaving a dark wet spot upon the dirt. The clouds were beginning to fester overhead.  
  
"What in the - " the man stared numbly at his empty hand, then up at Mikoto, his eyes dancing with surprise and perhaps a bit of fright. The young genome curled her lips, snarling. She'd never fought before, yet it just seemed to come naturally. Being an Angel of Death probably helped too . . .  
  
Trying to defend herself, Mikoto charged at the enemy, shoving him hard in the chest and knocking him to the ground. He wheezed as his back made contact with dirt. Unfortunately, he countered by sweeping his foot low through the air and successfully knocking her feet out from under her. The genome tripped backwards and landed on her rump with a hard thud. The man sat up immediately and thrust out an arm, grabbing a tuft of her hair and pulling her head forward. She screamed and clawed at his face. A cry broke the air and she realized she'd made contact. Looking in astonishment at her fingernails she discovered, even more amazingly, that she'd drawn blood. A strange feeling of rage boiled over her. She'd never felt like that before. It was like a molten wrath was churning in her stomach. All she wanted to do was rip her opponent's heart out; no matter what it took. All logic fluttered out of her mind. This man was going down . . .  
  
/Could this be how Kuja felt when he did all those terrible things?/  
  
Noticing the young girl's hesitation the man seized his possibly only opportunity.  
  
He lunged forward and shoved her backwards causing her to let out a frightened squeak of surprise. He immediately scrambled over her, pinning her upper arms down with his fingers and settling one leg on either side of her waist, locking her knees in place. She was trapped.  
  
Like a panicked beast, the barrage of screams and cries escaped her throat as she twisted and turned beneath his grip.  
  
"Sit . . . still!" the man groaned, trying to tame the struggling monster. She glared into his bright green eyes, noticing for the first time how truly green they were. Electric green, reminding her thoroughly of glistening jade-stones.  
  
Letting out an agitated growl, Mikoto managed to yank one of her legs out of his strangle-hold and kick him where the sun don't shine. She took advantage of his agony to roll over him, locking his own arms and legs in place, much the same way he had done with her. She growled, her eyes flashing dangerously.  
  
"Who are you and what are you doing in our village?!" she demanded, grabbing his oak hair in one hand and yanking as hard as she could. He, in turn, bared his teeth at her and spat bitterly in her face. She jerked her head out of the way and it missed.  
  
Three lines of blood were running down the man's cheek, oozing towards the collar of his shirt. It was the first time Mikoto had ever noticed his clothes. They were strange.  
  
Her attention was suddenly drawn away from his outfit as cold metal pressed sharply against her throat causing the skin there to twitch convulsively in response. The genome froze, tightening her grip on the man's arms. Looking down she saw, much to her surprise, that not only was there a dagger prepared to slice her head off, but the man she was holding down had an identical dagger being held to his neck too. His eyes were watering with fear.  
  
"Put the man down . . ." someone hissed in Mikoto's ear, the dagger pressing just a little harder against her skin as if warning her to do as she was told. The eleven-year-old gulped and slowly loosened her grip upon the man's arms, trying to hold her fingers steady. His hands dropped limply out of her reach and fell back to his sides. Gaining control over his appendages once more, the man began feverishly wiping at the blood on his face, fearfully staring at the weapon poised by his jugular.  
  
Mikoto's blue eyes flashed in the direction of whomever was threatening to kill her, but she couldn't see them. With a dangerous glint, the dagger withdrew from her neck. She would have relaxed except that someone grabbed her wrists and pinned them painfully against her back, seizing her roughly off the ground, and dragging her up by her short blonde hair. Mikoto cried out, afraid the locks were going to be ripped right out of her head.  
  
A male voice from somewhere nearby began talking swiftly, a cocky deadliness to his tone.  
  
"Hold her off until I'm finished. Don't let her get away,"  
  
"Of course," a female voice responded, tinged with glee. Someone smacked Mikoto hard across the face causing her head to snap to the side. She began thrashing wildly.  
  
"Stand down you brat!"  
  
Mikoto began to struggle worse, kicking her legs ferociously. She was slapped once more; harder this time. It seemed only to fuel her rage further.  
  
/If only I could use magic! I'd blast these assholes straight to Esto Gaza!/  
  
"If you don't hold still, I will kill you," the woman whispered dangerously near the young genome's face, the words gurgling with venom. Mikoto scowled, hissing angrily. However, common sense took its toll and she relented, relaxing slightly in the uncomfortable position. Despite her "good behavior" the grip upon her wrists and hair was not alleviated in the least. Mikoto didn't doubt that they would kill her. Instead, she turned her eyes upon her previous attacker who was still lying on his back upon the ground, breathing heavily. Whoever had been holding the dagger to his throat had slipped away before Mikoto even had a chance to see them. It struck the young girl as strange that she had been unable to keep her eyes on any of these people. How was that possible?  
  
"Master . . ." the man thrown across the ground whimpered, still rubbing at his scratched face. A deep purple was beginning to form around the cut marks. "Master . . . please . . ."  
  
"Silence," someone snapped. A new weapon replaced the dagger by his neck. It took Mikoto a minute to register that it was the weapon she'd been jabbed in the back with before. She'd completely forgotten about it.  
  
"Master . . . I would have gotten her . . . ! Really!"  
  
He received a harsh kick in the side. The man groaned in agony, his green eyes squeezing shut in pain.  
  
"Who - told - you - you - could - use - my - weapon . . .?" the "master" whispered dangerously, annunciating every word carefully. His voice sent shivers down Mikoto's spine.  
  
"Master . . . I'm so sorry . . . But I thought . . ."  
  
"I know what you thought. And you thought wrong. He does not want that to be done just yet you ill-breed fool! You could have ruined everything! How dare you attempt something like that on your own without my permission! The consequences will be harsh . . . yet most fitting. Don't you agree?"  
  
"Master!"  
  
"No? Hmm . . . Lulian!"  
  
"Yes?" Mikoto heard the woman holding her from behind respond.  
  
"Take Ummei back to The Indomitable and give him a lashing he'll never forget when we're done. Show him a good time . . ."  
  
"Of course. With pleasure," there was a giggle of mirth near Mikoto's ear. She felt bile rising in her throat, topped with disgust.  
  
The grip on her wrists was shifted slightly and Mikoto was suddenly able to twist her neck around and get a clear view of "the Master." All she saw before she was jerked back into place was a pair of leering green eyes and a cold, icy smirk. His pupils were the same voltaic green as Ummei's. But they were much, much scarier. . .  
  
Suddenly, Mikoto felt the weapon that had been jabbing her in the back before, jabbing her in the back again. The feeling was disturbingly familiar. It made her shudder.  
  
"Another one bites the dust . . ."  
  
"Hee hee . . ."  
  
There was a sharp, searing pain like flames through Mikoto's body and a veil of black was pulled over her eyes as all consciousness was lost . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The town of Katei was quiet, the setting of the sun soothing the tucked-in town into an almost whimsical lullaby of silence. But there was one who would get no peace that night . . .  
  
"Megan . . ." a voice whispered, seeping through the young girl's thoughts. "Megan . . ."  
  
Megan looked up from the couch where she had been sitting, quietly reading a thick novel perched upon her lap.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Megan . . . The newspaper . . . tomorrow . . . Read it . . ."  
  
Megan frowned, staring into the dim shadows of the living room. Somehow, the mysterious voice sounded a little less mysterious when talking about newspapers.  
  
"Uh . . ." she didn't know what to say. A tingling sensation went up her spine as if fingers were trailing ghost-like up her back.  
  
"Feather, is this some kind of trick?!" the young girl snapped, starting to get angry and upset that he would pull something as cruel as that on her. He had always seemed like such a sweet, kind man. A harsh chuckle ran through her psyche.  
  
"Don't you know . . .?" it whispered, taunting her.  
  
"Know what?" Megan insisted suspiciously. There was a moment of silence before the deep, harsh voice curled itself around her mind once more.  
  
"I've seen what you've seen . . ."  
  
Megan froze, numbly dropping the book onto the seat-cushion next to her.  
  
"Wh-who are you?!" she called, beginning to feel frightened. "Is this some sort of sick joke?!"  
  
"This is no joke. This is reality. And everything you saw will be . . ."  
  
"What kind of sick fucker are you?!" Megan screamed, jumping to her feet and balling her fists angrily.  
  
"Ha, ha, ha . . . What will you do when it all happens? Hmm?"  
  
The frightened woman looked around wildly. For some reason she wanted to just curl up and cry into someone's shoulder. She began to call out desperately.  
  
"Mom! Grandma! Feather! Someone!" she wrapped her arms around herself, trying to stop her incessant shaking. "Please! Anyone!" she buried her face in her hands, trying to block out the phantom laughter. The next thing she knew, a pair of warm fingers were gently brushing her hair out of her face and someone was holding her tight, rocking her silently. Megan sniffled and looked up to find herself staring into a pair of deep blue eyes.  
  
"Feather . . .?" she whispered, blinking back tears.  
  
"Shh . . ." the silver-haired man cooed, wiping a salty tear away from her cheek and smoothing his thumb over it. "What's wrong? Why were you crying?"  
  
Megan buried her face in his warm embrace, clutching him tightly. She wanted to tell him how horrible it was . . . But . . . somehow she didn't think that telling him she had heard voices talking about newspapers in her head would slide over too well. Instead, she muttered "It was nothing . . ." and pulled back, taking a deep breath. He watched her quietly, contemplating how many ways she could possibly be lying to him.  
  
"Feather," Megan began, gazing quietly out the open window into the crisp morning air. "When you were having nightmares . . . What were they about?" she wondered if they were anything like her own. Feather laughed, his voice tinged with a slight coldness. Megan had been noticing that more lately. The coldness. She wondered if it was because something had changed; or if everything from before had merely been an act. She knew nothing about him . . . even after two and a half years . . .  
  
"They were pointless," the young man responded, shaking his head. "Just flicks of memory . . . from my past . . ."  
  
Megan looked up sharply and Feather gave her an annoyed look.  
  
"Oh, please! You know I don't have amnesia!" he scoffed, thinking back on the conversation he'd had with Mrs. Yorokobi. Megan blushed.  
  
"I-I'm sorry . . ."  
  
"No, it doesn't matter," Feather chimed. "What's important is that you're all right,"  
  
"I'm fine!" Megan exclaimed, trying to put on the most chipper face possible.  
  
It looked like an expression from a masquerade party. Fake . . .  
  
Feather smiled and tucked a strand of her light brown hair behind her ear. The young girl was amazed that he'd fallen for it.  
  
"That's my girl!" he said kindly, grinning. He turned to go and Megan watched him carefully, still aware of that thin sheet of ice hovering over his head.  
  
"How strange . . ." she muttered to herself.  
  
Meanwhile, Feather was having dark thoughts to himself.  
  
"She still doesn't trust me . . . She won't tell me anything . . ."  
  
He caught sight of Megan's grandmother washing dishes in the kitchen sink and gave her a faint smile. She returned it and went back to her chore. When the silver-tailed sorcerer had exited into his bedroom she turned off the water and frowned.  
  
"Why do you keep so silent . . .?" the old woman wondered aloud, peering intently at the closed oak door.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: Hmm . . . a minor plot twist? Nah, it's not very important. The REAL plot twists are coming up later. One of them is REALLY weird . . . And I'm very happy 'cause I managed to stuff Megan in a chapter. She's a very important character. And also, Angel of Death 87, you're not EXACTLY right with your predictions but part of it is really close. I think you're starting to see where I'm going with some of this (thank heavens someone is. One of my friends is completely clueless as to where I'm heading with this story). Good job! And don't forget to read and review people! I just love reviews *hugs a review or two*  
  
Interesting information about the names I chose:  
  
Yorokobi means joy or delight in Japanese. Katei means home, family, or household in Japanese. Also, the names of Vivi's children are days of the week in Japanese ^_^ Nichio-Bi means Sunday, Getsuyo-Bi means Monday, Kayo- Bi means Tuesday, and Suiyo-Bi means (go figure) Wednesday. When the other kids play a part in this story they will be Thursday and Friday. I'm not sure if there will be a Saturday though because Vivi only has six kids *sweatdrop* And later on there will be other characters with Japanese names, so when I get to them I will fill you in on their meaning. Oh, and I'm not Japanese. I'm just good with dictionaries, hehe . . . 


	4. The Proposal

A/N: Wow . . . I'm impressed . . . Five reviews for the last chapter! Awesome! I'm so glad I'm getting feedback on this little ficcy of mine! And for those of you reading this and NOT reviewing, please do! It's not that difficult! A minute here or there, so what?! Anyhow, I think this chapter is really cute so be prepared for some romance and sweetness. But not in a disgusting way *shudder* And Athena, what's a Mary Sue or whatever you said? 'Cause whatever it is, I'm sure Megan won't turn out that way. Er . . . yeah . . . So, thanks a bunch people and enjoy the fic! Oh, by the way, there will be a small Final Fantasy VII reference in this story which might come into play later on. If you've never played the game, don't worry, you won't even notice it.  
  
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy IX no está mi videojuega. ¡Yo no tengo el juega porque yo no estoy rica y famosa! Blah . . .  
  
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"Zidane, I have the greatest idea. Wait until you hear this,"  
  
Zidane didn't like the sound of that. He looked up from his breakfast and stared across the table at Queen Garnet Til Alexandros the XVII, his eyes glistening suspiciously. It was still around five in the morning and the two were probably the only people awake in the entire castle besides the guards. The ruler grinned back at him smugly, resting her chin in her hand.  
  
"If this has anything to do with me marrying Eiko, I'll pass," Zidane muttered, nibbling on a piece of rye toast. Garnet laughed and stood up out of her chair across the long, antique table. She passed at least eight seats and finally plopped down into the one next to the nervous genome, her eyes still dancing.  
  
"Of course not!" Garnet teased, grabbing the rye toast out of his hand just as he was about to take a bite and setting it upon the silky tablecloth. The guards stationed at the door cringed at the greasy spot forming beneath it.  
  
"Then what is it?" Zidane muttered, staring longingly at the forbidden toast. Garnet scooted a little closer to the him, trying to contain her excitement.  
  
"Why don't I leave my queenly duties behind and we just desert Alexandria for a day or two and . . . I dunno . . . elope or something . . ."  
  
Zidane looked up sharply, the bread momentarily forgotten.  
  
"Elope?"  
  
"Yeah, sure! Why not?"  
  
The former thief frowned thoughtfully for a moment, staring across the table to the far wall. Suddenly, he pushed his chair back and stood up, chewing on his lip once more.  
  
"You know what, Dagger? I've got a better idea,"  
  
Garnet watched him, hurt, and felt the first pangs of neglect.  
  
/He doesn't want to be with me!/ she thought miserably. /What have I done wrong? Did I push too much? But I've hardly said a word! I don't understand!/  
  
The young queen watched the blonde-tailed genome scratch his head as he walked past her and out of the room, nodding to the two guards who stepped out of the way to let him by. Garnet could feel the tears forming in her eyes and she leapt up out of her seat and ran after the boy, pushing the doors open and accidentally knocking into one of the guard's shoulders.  
  
"Zidane! Wait! Where are you - "  
  
She stopped. Zidane was standing in front of her, holding a folded up piece of cloth in his hand. Garnet stared at it, blinking in surprise, before it dawned on her what it was.  
  
"My mage robe!" she exclaimed, reaching out and touching the soft white fabric. Zidane nodded.  
  
"Dagger - if you would be so kind - I would like to reenact a very special moment of my life with you. With minor changes which I will add myself, of course,"  
  
Garnet raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Have you lost your - "  
  
"Please? Just play along,"  
  
Garnet wasn't sure where Zidane was going with this, so she sighed and nodded.  
  
"Sure, why not . . ."  
  
Zidane grinned with excitement and handed her the cloak, his tail wagging happily.  
  
"Yes! Come on, let's go!" he grabbed her by the arm and began to drag the reluctant queen off, smiling with joy.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The two nineteen-year-olds stationed themselves in their proper spots; Zidane at the bottom of the staircase leading to the royal theater seats, and Garnet standing in front of them. After a moment of hesitation in which the blonde cleared his throat, Zidane began to run up the steps signaling for the scene to start. Garnet couldn't help but smile to herself. How she'd forgotten those days . . .  
  
As Zidane charged up the stairs, Garnet hurried forward, timing her steps so that the two teens would run into each other. The young queen, feeling foolish as she faked surprise, stumbled backwards as Zidane - being the skilled actor that he is - let out a yelp of bewilderment. The two stood there for a moment, dusting their clothes off. Garnet had forgotten how nice it felt to wear her white mage cloak. She noticed, vaguely, that she did not have her yellow stretch-clothes on underneath it like she had the first time. Rather, she was framed by a thin blue dress. Not that it mattered . . .  
  
The two gazed at each other silently for a moment and Zidane raised an eyebrow expectantly. Garnet blushed, remembering that she had been the first to speak all those years ago . . .  
  
"Um . . . Would you please let me pass . . .?" she squeaked, the words feeling almost painfully nostalgic to her.  
  
/Maybe Zidane's idea wasn't so bad after all . . ./  
  
Her companion's eyes widened and he cocked his head thoughtfully, peering at Garnet's delicate features almost deliriously. Garnet laughed at the impersonation and tried to act annoyed despite the fact that she was, in fact, clearly enjoying the spectacle.  
  
"Is there . . . something . . . on my face?" the young queen snorted. Zidane managed to keep the act up perfectly, his tail curling around his ankle as he pretended to be embarrassed at his rudeness.  
  
"Oh no," he said. "You see, I thought maybe you were the one I'd been waiting for all this time!"  
  
Garnet giggled and folded her arms doubtfully.  
  
"Excuse me? You were waiting for me?"  
  
Zidane nodded, giving her an approving glance.  
  
"Yeah! I've dreamed of meeting you here ever since I was born!"  
  
Garnet pulled on the strings of her hood, fearing it would slip off her hair.  
  
"Do you mock me?" she asked haughtily, unaccustomed to the formal speech she had once been told was the ONLY way to speak. During her journey Zidane had taught her the joy of using such phrases as "Allrighty," and "Get off me you scumbag!" The thief shook his head hurriedly.  
  
"No! Of course not!" he exclaimed, bowing his head in submission. Garnet smirked and stuck a hip out in a bitchy, supercilious sort of manner.  
  
"Then I shall take my leave of you!" she snapped, pushing Zidane out of the way and brushing past him. The blonde genome - acting surprisingly realistic - jumped in front of her and grabbed her forearms, staring desperately into her lovely brown eyes.  
  
"Wait!" he begged. "You can't go! I could never let someone as pretty as you get away! Say, you wouldn't - "  
  
He stopped. Garnet raised an eyebrow with curiosity. When the scene had first been "performed" over three years earlier, when they were still only sixteen and quite young, Blank had come running up the stairs before Zidane had finished his thought. Now, the two of them stood there, Garnet waiting to see what would happen next.  
  
Zidane slowly let go of the queen's arms and dropped carefully down onto one knee, right hand taking his Dagger's, the other reaching into his vest pocket.  
  
"Say . . ." he repeated, looking deep into her eyes. "You wouldn't . . . you wouldn't mind if I . . . asked you to marry me?"  
  
The blonde-haired genome silently slipped a dazzling diamond ring onto the young queen's finger, his tail brushing the ground softly, his eyes staring like laser-beams into hers, wide with hope.  
  
Garnet couldn't breathe. How was this possible?! How had this happened?! She couldn't believe it! This was UNbelievable! The shocked summoner stood there, speechless and dumbfounded, before letting out a choked gasp and bursting into tears.  
  
"Oh my god, Zidane! Of course I'll marry you!" she sobbed, collapsing onto the ground before him and throwing her arms around her new fiancé's neck. Zidane grinned, holding back his own tears. He rocked the brunette back and forth in his arms, embracing her warm body against his.  
  
"I love you, Dagger . . ." he whispered. After a moment Garnet pulled back, sniffling as she beamed.  
  
"We . . . we've got to tell everyone!" she sputtered. "We're going to have a celebration! Anyone can come! From anywhere!"  
  
She stood up, grinning at the proud look on Zidane's face. He nodded.  
  
"I'll go notify the newspapers,"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Say, Feather. What would you do if I kicked over all the supplies in this shop and spray painted the walls to say 'Feather Sucks?'"  
  
Kuja blinked and looked up from the device seated across his lap, not sure if he'd heard the question correctly. He stared at Megan for probably a full twenty minutes before answering.  
  
"Er . . . Clean it up . . .?" he queried uncertainly. Megan leaned over the item shop counter, smirking at the strange look on his face.  
  
"You wouldn't . . . I dunno . . . hurt me or anything?"  
  
"Uh . . . no . . ."  
  
Megan frowned and straightened back up, looking suspiciously into the young man's eyes.  
  
"Don't you ever get angry?" she asked, gripping the edge of the counter and pushing herself up backwards onto the wooden surface. The young girl folded her legs, watching the silver-haired man curiously. She knew if her mother were around she'd probably find her ass over her head for sitting there, but with Feather - no, no - everything was always all right with Feather. The said man laughed as if sharing an inside joke with himself.  
  
"You wouldn't like me when I'm angry . . ." he commented, going back to his previous activity. While working in the Yorokobi Item Shop, Kuja had become very interested in weapons having never used one himself. The one seated across his lap was his favorite - and also one of the rarest and most expensive weapons out there. The Yorokobi's were known many towns over for having it but they would never EVER sell it. It was like a family heirloom or something. It was called the Masamune, and it had once been wielded by a very special, very famous warrior whom Megan did not know the name of off the top of her head.  
  
She raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Is that so . . .?" she mocked, lying down on her side and propping her head up with one arm.  
  
"Mhmm . . ."  
  
Megan laughed. Somehow, she couldn't see sweet, innocent little Feather harming a fly. Then again, she could still remember the first time she'd met him. A completely different side of Feather had shown through; one she wished never to see again.  
  
/Flash/  
  
"Don't . . . touch me . . ."  
  
"Please . . ."  
  
"No . . . No . . .!"  
  
/Flash/  
  
The copper-haired woman shuddered. He'd been in nasty shape. It had looked as if he'd crawled out of the Pit of Despair, bleeding to death and in shock. When her mother had tried to help him, the injured man had fought back. Later on, he claimed he had done no such thing and couldn't remember anything that had happened that day. She wondered what he meant . . . She wouldn't like him when he's angry . . .  
  
"So . . ."  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Uh . . ."  
  
Feather was too busy polishing the six-foot blade of the Masamune to notice Megan's silence. She sighed.  
  
"I'm gonna go . . ." she muttered. As she dropped off the counter-top with a small thud - landing lightly on her feet, the door opened with a tinkling bell and Megan side-stepped as an old woman entered, muttering about her lazy son. Feather glanced up and set the Masamune down on the floor gently.  
  
"Hey Ms. Hilda," he greeted, standing up. "Can I help you?"  
  
The old woman looked distinctly ruffled. "My stupid son has gone and gotten himself silenced by one of his nasty little friends," she snarled bitterly. "I need an echo screen or two,"  
  
Feather nodded, smiling. "Coming right up!" The young man hoisted himself up and over the counter before trotting up to one of the shelves, running his index finger over the labels, and scanning the boxes for the article. Megan suddenly noticed a flash of silver near the young man's leg. She blinked, frowning, and squinted her eyes, trying to figure out the source of the movement. Out of nowhere, she spotted Feather's tail, hovering near his ankles. She sucked in her breath quickly. She'd almost forgotten he had one!  
  
"Ah, got it!" Feather announced, snagging a blue bottle off the shelf and tossing it into the air with jovial triumph. He handed it to the old woman and tried to explain to her how to use it. As he did that, Megan turned to the back room, wondering if her grandmother was in there. Pushing the swinging door open and squeezing her way into the cramped little warehouse, Megan did, indeed, spot her late father's mother, stacking boxes onto the shelves with amazing mobility for someone her age.  
  
"What's up?" Megan queried, kicking an empty potion bottle out of the way. Her grandmother looked up, slightly startled, and smiled as she wiped her brow.  
  
"Hey! How's my little grand-daughter?" the old woman asked cheerfully as she straightened herself. "Still single I see . . . and unemployed . . ."  
  
"Grandma!"  
  
"Just kidding, just kidding. So, 'what's up?'"  
  
Megan sighed, running her fingers through her soft hair. "I was just wondering . . . Grandma, why does Feather have a tail? Don't you find that strange?" her grandmother chuckled, opening a drawer and pulling out an old feather duster.  
  
"Not really," she stated, sniffing the duster and recoiling slightly. "After all, he's a pretty strange boy anyways,"  
  
Megan nodded absently, listened to the muffled conversation from behind the door.  
  
Suddenly, it swung open, causing the old woman to drop the feather duster with surprise. Feather stood there illuminated in the doorway, smiling.  
  
"Hey! Is there a party back here that I'm not invited to?!"  
  
Megan rolled her eyes. "Party's canceled," she joked, grabbing Feather's arm and steering him out of the room. She turned and winked at her grandmother, muttering "Separation anxiety,"  
  
Laughing, the young girl closed the door.  
  
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"No way! No - way! Nowaynowaynowaynowaynoway!"  
  
"Yes way!"  
  
"NO!"  
  
"YES!"  
  
"I don't believe it!"  
  
"You better believe it!"  
  
Eiko Carol threw her arms around Queen Garnet's legs, hugging the elder tightly in a stifling embrace. "Dagger, I'm so proud of you!" she exclaimed, staring up into her idols blissful face. Zidane ruffled Eiko's hair happily, smirking down at the small, purple-haired nine-year-old. The crew stood in one of the many hallways of Alexandria Castle, the news having just been revealed of Zidane's proposal to Queen Garnet.  
  
"Guess this means you can't marry me," the thief pointed out, grinning at the young summoner's disgust.  
  
"Oh, I can still dream!" Eiko chimed, folding her arms over her chest and sticking her bottom lip out indignantly.  
  
"But really, your majesty, we are so proud," Freya Crescent, a tall Burmecian knight, articulated, bowing her head respectfully. Garnet gave her an annoyed look.  
  
"Don't bow your head to me, Freya!" she scolded, looking up at the tall rat- like woman. "We're friends! I don't look down upon you any more than I look down upon Steiner!"  
  
"Hey!" Steiner pouted, putting his hands on his hips in frustration.  
  
"Yeah, and I won't either when I'm king," Zidane joked, patting Freya on the back. She winced. So did everyone else in the room.  
  
"Zidane as a king . . ." Amarant, a husky red-haired bandit, muttered, glaring at the floor. "It's the end of the world . . ."  
  
"Oh, shut up," the young genome snapped, rolling his eyes.  
  
"I think you'll make an excellent king . . ." Vivi, a small black mage, murmured, straightening his large yellow hat.  
  
"As do I," the female general, Beatrix, agreed, roping her arm through Steiner's. The tall armor-clad knight blushed at his lady. The two weren't married yet but Zidane and Garnet were expecting the question any day.  
  
"Zidane! You make best king ever! Better than Master Quale's pancakes!" Quina, the obese, pink gourmand, guffawed, nodding his head approvingly. Zidane scratched the back of his neck uncertainly.  
  
"Uh . . . thanks Quina . . ."  
  
Fratley laughed. He was another tall Burmecian knight. "I think the two of you will be magnificent together!" the said knight bellowed, placing an arm around Freya's shoulder. Their situation was much like that of Beatrix and Steiner, however, Freya was still uncertain of the powerful commitment involved in a nuptial. Fratley's amnesia had not relented in the least and his knowledge of their past together seemed lost forever.  
  
Lani, the exotic female warrior, leaned against the wall, kicking her axe in a bored manner. "At least I can say I was beaten by the king of Alexandria . . ." she muttered. Smirking, the bandit batted her eyelashes at Amarant, looking quite smug. "What about you?" The response was simple.  
  
"Shut . . . up . . ."  
  
"So will there be a celebration?" the Regent Cid of Lindblum queried, cocking his head curiously.  
  
"Absolutely!" Garnet exclaimed. "We're inviting all of Gaia! Anyone can come! Of course, the party in the castle will be reserved only for nobles and our friends, but Alexandria will be open to anybody! It's going to be so much fun!"  
  
"Wow . . ." Regent Cid's wife, Lady Hilda, murmured in awe. "That's amazing. How will anyone else know about this?"  
  
"Oh, it's in the papers," Garnet stated, nodding. "We're gonna make sure EVERYBODY knows!"  
  
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A/N: Did anyone catch that?! *Siren goes off* IT'S - IN - THE - PAPERS! *Bangs her hand on the desk* Plot point! Yeah! Anyhow, wasn't that just SO sweet?! Zidane is such a little cutey! But he won't be like that most of the story. He'll be . . . well . . . Zidane-ish. Not romance-ish. And don't worry, the two groups of people I keep going back and forth between will unite very soon. And also, pretty much every character will play a part in this fan fic (even Quina) so no matter who you're a fan of, you can bet they'll do something in this story. It's not promised but it's very probable. Even the Tantalus crew will be in it. Not to mention a little Conde Petie flavor and stuff. And don't forget: READ AND REVIEW! I don't want any less than five (please!) Oh, and did anyone catch the FFVII reference? If you've played the game it was pretty obvious. And it MIGHT play a part in this fic later. Not sure yet . . . 


	5. Mist Monster Attack

A/N: Hi! I'm happy to say that I am most pleased with the progress of this story! I thank you all and I give my reviewers an imaginary bear-hug. *Hug* Anyhoo, I'm sorry for the delay but I kept changing things in this chapter. Took me awhile to write it. And also, if you're getting sick of this not going anywhere than sit tight! Next few chapters will reveal the TRUE plot! It's a little different than you might think (and a little weirder too). So just hold on! Thanks a bunch, peoples . . .  
  
Disclaimer: I'm sick of saying this . . . I DON'T OWN FINAL FANTASY!!!!  
  
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"Paper's here!"  
  
Feather held out a rolled up newspaper across the kitchen table from his house-mate and shook it irritatingly in her face. Megan was still groggy having never been a morning person, and muttered something inaudible before grabbing it, fumbling with the string, and opening it. The half-awake woman couldn't remember why she'd been asking Feather over and over again for it.  
  
"There, you satisfied?" the young boy snapped, laughing. "I thought you were going to have a fit if you didn't get it!"  
  
"Uh . . ." Megan squinted her eyes, trying to read the blurred cover. She gave up, groaning loudly, and slammed her head down on the table. Feather just laughed again and stood up, flinging his jacket over his shoulder and nodding to Mrs. Yorokobi who was frying eggs over at the stove.  
  
"I'm headin' out," he announced, reaching for the door handle. Mrs. Yorokobi cleared her throat and Feather hesitated. Then sighed. Megan's mother watched him, frowning slightly. Her daughter was too tired to question the awkward moment.  
  
From outside, Megan's grandmother rapped on the window and held up a bucket of carrots she had apparently picked up out of the garden. Her daughter-in- law nodded and turned off the stove, heading out of the kitchen to go retrieve the vegetables. This left Megan all alone with her forehead grinded into the wood and her eyes squinted shut.  
  
/Flash/  
  
The newspaper . . . tomorrow . . . read it . . .  
  
/Flash/  
  
Megan's head snapped up as if she'd slammed it onto a pin cushion. She was awake so fast it jolted her mind into triple-speed and everything went on fast-forward. The brunette sobered so suddenly that it made her start. The voice! How could she have been so stupid?!  
  
Fingers trembling, the anxious young girl lifted up the paper and held it out at arms length, staring at it.  
  
/Oh god . . . The covers going to say that the apocalypse is coming tomorrow, isn't it . . .? Damnit . . . I knew it . . . I've wasted my whole life!/  
  
But there was nothing like that at all. Quite the opposite, really.  
  
"Queen of Alexandria engaged to be married . . ." Megan read aloud, curiosity rising as her eyes scanned the page. "Queen Garnet Til Alexandros the XVII has been blessed with the return of her love, Zidane Tribal, the hero of the Great War three years ago. They are expected to be wed some time in August. Celebration in Alexandria will commence in four days. All are . . . invited . . ." Megan frowned.  
  
"A celebration . . . Hmm . . ."  
  
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Kuja trudged down the road, staring at the gravel beneath his feet. Fascinating . . . Very . . . fascinating . . . He sighed heavily, jamming his delicate hands into his pockets and chewing on his lip. Immediately, he scolded himself and scowled.  
  
"Where am I going?" he wondered aloud, suddenly stopping dead in the street. His eyes strayed back to the dirt. Ah, of course . . . he recognized this spot. Where he'd first met Megan. He laughed. Then stopped. It wasn't funny. Yet it was.  
  
"She was afraid of blood . . ." Kuja muttered thoughtfully, grinding his boot into the gravel. "I wonder why . . ."  
  
/Flash/  
  
"Oh my god . . ."  
  
"Megan, what the hell are you doing here?!"  
  
"Someone get her out of here!"  
  
"Oh shit . . ."  
  
/Flash/  
  
He could still remember that look she'd given him. That look of terror before she'd passed out. It was a look he had once loved to see when people glanced at him, yet had been so horrified to see on her. He didn't want her to fear him. He didn't want anyone to fear him anymore. It just wasn't as satisfying as it had once been. His lip twitched.  
  
"She was afraid of blood . . ."  
  
A piercing roar split the air causing Kuja's thoughts to scatter from him mind like a thousand fireflies released from their jar. A scream arose from nearby and the sounds of shouting. Something was going on further down the road!  
  
Breaking into a run, the silver-haired sorcerer flew down the street, pushing people out of the way as he did so. The screams were getting worse, bringing the very air around them to its knees. Then he saw it . . .  
  
In the field behind the school-house!  
  
A Red Dragon, with a wingspan of at least thirty feet, was hovering above the ground, beating the air in a flurry of feathers, its roar reverberating in the air around them and freezing Kuja's insides. Several children were scrambling to get away only to find the dragon swooping down upon them and blocking their path. Many of the townspeople were watching from many yards away, horrified, as the dragon landed upon the grass with a thud and threw its head back, flames licking its teeth. Three little girls were huddled before it, crying.  
  
"Amanda!" a woman shouted, shoving Kuja out of the way. "Oh my god, Amanda!"  
  
"Mommy!" one of the tykes sobbed, trembling as the dragon flailed its head around, shrieking. Her mother rounded on one of the nearby townspeople, her eyes flashing angrily.  
  
"Why the hell are you just standing there?!" the woman shouted, balling her fingers into fists. "My daughter's about to be killed!" She was on the verge of hysteria, tears brimming her eyes. The man just shook his head.  
  
"I'm sorry!" he defended miserably. "But we don't have enough magic OR weapons to take him down, plus, we could accidentally hurt the children if the dragon becomes provoked,"  
  
Kuja wanted to give that man a piece of his mind but knew the truth in what the villager had said. It was an impossible situation. No matter which way the youth looked at it, the children were as good as dog food.  
  
The silver-tailed warlock had no choice but to watch the three doomed children, his face mimicking the helpless expression of everyone around him. The atmosphere was that of a funeral.  
  
/Why aren't you doing something?!/ Kuja thought angrily to himself. /How can you just stand by and watch those three little girls turn into dragon feces?! You ought to be ashamed of yourself . . ./  
  
Unfortunately, the spirits on Kuja's shoulders were up for a brawl, and conflicting arguments immediately began to plague the young man.  
  
/You can't!/ the devil argued, pushing back Kuja's conscience. /It would be impossible to destroy that creature! Besides, no one here knows you are a sorcerer!/  
  
/So?!/ the angel hissed back, spitting venom. Kuja winced as the dragon began to snap its head around, its wings pummeling the air relentlessly. /Is that worth the lives of three CHILDREN?!/  
  
/You've got a point there . . ./  
  
/I know I do . . ./  
  
/Damn . . . But I can't . . ./  
  
Kuja sighed watching a group of nearby spectators. He couldn't possibly take on a dragon . . . There was no way . . . He hadn't used magic in years except for small things like levitating a book off a high shelf or relighting a blown out candle. But fighting a dragon?! That was not an easy task . . . even with experience . . .  
  
Suddenly, an explosion of flames burst forth from the dragons mouth, engulfing the children dead on target.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Megan galloped down the road at top speed, the newspaper still clutched in her right hand as the sounds of screams reached her ears. Something bad was going to happen . . . She just knew it . . .  
  
Rounding the corner of the street, Megan found herself at the old school house. There were people everywhere, all of them wearing masks of terror. Spotting her mother and grandmother in the middle of the crowd, Megan quickly ran towards them, her stomach sinking as she saw that her family was doing nothing to help whatever situation was going on. That meant that it was either impossible to do anything . . . or . . .  
  
It had already happened . . .  
  
A scream erupted from the crowd like a single sob of anguish. All anyone saw was a flash of silver as something hurled itself desperately in a blur at the little girls, throwing them safely out of the path of flames. Unfortunately, the one who had grabbed them was immediately engulfed in the pyre. Megan's mother gasped, clapping a hand over her mouth as realization sunk in.  
  
The children scrambled out from beneath the body on top of them and flung themselves out of harms way, sobbing as they ran towards their families. Amanda's mother collapsed to her knees and caught her daughter, rocking the frightened little tyke back and forth in her arms, crying softly.  
  
"Oh sweetie . . ." the relieved woman whispered, sniffling. "Oh my poor, poor sweetie . . ."  
  
But silence was spreading over the townspeople as they realized the children's savior was lying face-down in the grass, unmoving. A hush fell over the crowd. Megan saw the silver-furred tail lying limply over the mass of charred clothing and the pearly white feather lying burnt nearby.  
  
/Oh god no . . ./  
  
"Feather!" she screamed, hurling herself forward in a frantic attempt to get to her fallen friend. Megan's grandmother caught the horrified young woman, clutching her tightly in her arms.  
  
"No, Megan!" the old woman shouted, pressing her grand-daughter's face against her chest as Megan sobbed uncontrollably. A shuddering sigh passed her lips.  
  
"Feather . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kuja groaned inwardly as the stinging pain washed over his body. The children had gotten away . . . Thank the gods . . . And it was a good thing he'd put up that barrier at the last minute or he would have been toast. The stupid shield hadn't been as affective as he'd hoped, but at least he was alive . . . The silver-haired warlock waited for the initial shock to dissipate slightly, breathing the grass in deeply as his mind de-numbed a little before pulling himself weakly onto his hands and knees. A gasp arose from the villagers.  
  
Megan's eyes widened in shock. Impossible! How could anyone have survived such an attack?!  
  
Kuja raised his eyes, assessing the creature before him. After a moment in which the warlock judged the beast to be of the fire sort and susceptible to more elemental attacks, Kuja was struck with a sudden and very curious thought.  
  
/Isn't this . . . a Mist Monster . . .? But . . . the Iifa Tree is dead . . . There IS no more Mist . . . Then how - /  
  
"Feather, watch out!"  
  
Kuja snapped out of his thoughts and looked up just in time to see the dragon's claw come flying past his face. He quickly pushed off backwards and fell into a fighting stance, ready for action. The dragon turned towards him, snarling slightly. It's forked tongue slithered out of its mouth and Kuja saw the sparks sizzling there. It was going to attack again . . . He couldn't let it . . .  
  
With astonishing speed, Kuja charged at the beast, palms forward as if preparing a magic attack of some sort. Then, at the last minute, Kuja sprang clear over the dragon's head and landed in a crouched position several feet away, his back turned vulnerably towards the beast. This seemed to really tick the monster off and it roared angrily, whipping its neck towards the silver-haired man.  
  
/That's it . . ./ Kuja thought tauntingly to himself, watching the dragon over his shoulder. /Just a little bit closer. That's right . . . You hate me . . . You want . . . to kill me . . ./  
  
The dragon lunged at his nemesis, teeth bared, fangs glinting. A cry arose from the crowds of spectators as Kuja leapt into the air, straight over the dragon. The creature stopped and let out a confused grunt. Above him, Kuja used the dazzling skills born of a genome and shot his own jet of flames down upon the beast from the palms of his hands. The dragon screamed as it was engulfed in the pyre and it immediately began thrashing around, flailing its thick neck and bellowing in agony.  
  
The young sorcerer landed safely away from the dragon, tensing as he waited for the creature to notice him. The flames sizzled and went out, and the winged lizard stopped its insane rampage, staring forward, stunned, its sides heaving. Kuja stood by, clenching his fists. The crowd was silent, many families gripping each other in fright. They were still convinced that their darling Feather was nothing more than an inexperienced item-shop clerk. Well, they were about to find out just how wrong they were . . .  
  
The dragon let out a deadly growl, its poisonous green eyes locking onto its enemy, the slit-like pupils dilating dangerously. It snorted and released a jet of steam from its nostrils. Letting out a piercing roar, the dragon belched a river of flames at the first angel of death. Kuja immediately dodged the fire and pointed his finger at the creature, sending a gust of icicles shooting out of his hand. The Red Dragon cried out in agony as it was impaled repeatedly by the frozen lances, hurriedly shielding itself protectively with its wings.  
  
Letting out a fierce roar, the beast flapped backwards, propelling the icicles back at their creator. Kuja quickly put up Barrier and the spears smacked into the shield, cracking it, before dropping harmlessly to the ground and vanishing with a small fizzle. The Red Dragon, angry at the failed attack, beat its wings hard and lifted into the air, fangs dripping with saliva.  
  
"Oh god, Feather . . ." Megan groaned, watching from afar, face taut with fear. "How can he . . . how can he do this . . .? He'll be killed!"  
  
"Have a little faith," Mrs. Yorokobi berated, gazing at the battle before them. "I have the feeling that this fight is very evenly matched,"  
  
"Wha - "  
  
"Shh . . ."  
  
Kuja stared up at the dragon, a look of nervousness passing over his face. What was he thinking?! He couldn't fight anymore! Why did HE have to be the one to save the stupid kids?!  
  
/Duh . . . Because you're the only one who could get to them fast enough . . ./  
  
"Oh yeah . . ."  
  
The Red Dragon dove, it's eyes wild. Kuja looked up in horror just as its fangs became as large as pencils. He ducked quickly and crouched down, hearing the whistling of wind and the billowing of his hair as the dragon scraped by overhead. The genome looked over his shoulder just in time to see the feathery lizard cut a swerving arc and swivel back around, closing in for another attack.  
  
"Oh . . . shit . . ."  
  
In a flurry of claws and scarlet plumage, the dragon blew past Kuja's face, it's teeth glinting in the sunlight. The genome wasn't fast enough to react and the Mist Monster's jaws managed to nick the side of his arm, spilling a trickle of blood onto the grass. Kuja cried out as the searing pain flowed down from his shoulder to his wrist. Poison . . . the god damn dragon had poison . . .!  
  
"D-damnit . . ." Kuja choked out, leaning forward as a wave of dizziness washed over him. If he didn't do something quick, he was going to pass out. The silver-tailed warlock had to think fast . . . How could he destroy this creature without an antidote on hand . . .?  
  
/Flash/  
  
"The Iifa Tree is the portal between our worlds, Kuja. You got that? Kuja? Kuja! Pay attention, damnit! Ahem . . . As I was saying, the Iifa Tree is the portal between Gaia and Terra. But only the back of the tree faces that of the Blue Moon. All visible sources of Mist flow from there. The Mist itself is comprised of shredded souls, not to mention a few other variables. When a monster is spawned from the Mist, for example, its creator, the Soulcage, its life force is reversed so to speak. This term is referred to as Undead. Now, how would you destroy a creature that is, as we so crudely refer to it, Undead?"  
  
"Uh . . . Kill it?"  
  
"Stupid boy! It's Undead! It's the opposite of alive! It is the LIVING dead! How would you reverse the life force of something dead?! Bring it back to life you moron! Herbs and magic can do this. In fact - when you really think about it - pitted against a white mage, Mist Monsters are weaker than even the most defective Hecteyes! It's simple logic you fool!"  
  
/Flash/  
  
"Bring it to life . . ." Kuja muttered, his vision blurring slightly. He'd never been good at ANY form of white magic! Great . . . just when he needed it . . . He could see the smudged outline of the dragon landing with a thud nearby. It knew he was down . . . Kuja thought hard. What to do, what to do . . .  
  
Of course! A phoenix down! Only one problem . . .  
  
"I don't have a phoenix down!" Kuja screamed at the top of his lungs. Many yards away, Megan crinkled her forehead in confusion.  
  
"Why does he want a phoenix down?" she asked her mother curiously. Mrs. Yorokobi frowned.  
  
"I'm not sure . . . He's not unconscious or anything,"  
  
"He will be soon," Megan's grandmother pointed out, looking nervous. "I don't know what kind of poison Red Dragon's have but . . ." her voice faded off. They knew what she meant.  
  
Kuja felt nauseous. The dragon was coming closer. He could hear its snuffling breath, its claws digging into the dirt. The thick, trunk-like tail lashed out near the genome's face. This was NOT going to be how it ended . . . Pitted against one of his own creations . . .!  
  
"Someone give me a phoenix down, quick!" Kuja cried, feeling the very heat of the dragon above him. Megan glanced anxiously at her mother. The older woman nodded and fumbled around in her purse. Finally, she pulled out one of the delicate red feathers and blew some dust off of it. She hadn't needed it in years . . .  
  
"How do we get it to him?" Mrs. Yorokobi wondered aloud, biting her lip with nerves. "Nobody can get near that thing . . ." she watched as the butcher and his son stood about ten feet away from Feather, not daring to move any closer. Megan watched Feather's shuddering form. A wave of sickness washed over her.  
  
/Flash/  
  
"Megan! Run!"  
  
"No! No! I can't leave you!"  
  
"Martha, take her!"  
  
"No! Don't take me away!"  
  
"Megan, please!"  
  
"But -"  
  
"I love you . . ."  
  
"Daddy!"  
  
/Flash/  
  
There were no second thoughts. Megan took off running, the phoenix feather clutched tightly in one hand, the other clenched in a fist near her chest.  
  
"Megan! No!" her mother screamed, making a frantic grab for her daughter. Megan dodged it and flew into the field. Cries echoed throughout the crowd of villagers.  
  
Kuja heard the shouts of protest and looked up blankly, unsure of what was going on. The next thing he knew, however, he felt someone slapping something hurriedly into his hand.  
  
"Megan? Is this-?"  
  
GRAAAH!!  
  
The dragon let out a bellowing roar above their heads. Megan screamed and fell into the silver-tailed genome, her eyes squinted shut. The dragon was up on its hind legs, preparing for the kill. Kuja reacted quickly (better than before) and flung the feather into the dragon's face. The beast yelped and fell backwards, shaking its head and doing something that quite resembled a sneeze. A dazzling sparkle of glitter washed over its entire body and two flickering red angel-wings sprouted ghost-like from its back before fading away. The dragon's eyes widened with shock and it began to flail around, screeching and snapping its teeth. The townspeople covered their faces in horror. After several tortured seconds, the dragon let out a last whining growl and crumpled to the ground, dead.  
  
Megan, who had been crunched up next to Feather and shivering, opened her eyes, wide with surprise.  
  
"It's . . . dead . . . but how -"  
  
"Mist Monster," Feather grunted simply, his voice slightly strained as he began to feel the first clench of pain in his body. "It was Undead . . . So I brought it to life . . ." Megan immediately began to look concerned.  
  
"Just hold on, Feather. Don't worry. We'll get you an antidote," Feather nodded numbly, his vision nearly gone.  
  
He still couldn't get that thought out of his mind.  
  
How could there be any more Mist Monsters . . . ?  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Mr. 41 was feeling the first tingling of anxiety.  
  
"Are you sure you haven't seen her?" he asked a female genome tending to the chocobos and feeding the scurrying yellow birds. The genome nodded, expression blank.  
  
"Mikoto was supposed to be taking care of Master Vivi's children," she stated, sprinkling chocobo feed into the pen. "Perhaps you should contact her brother and find out if he is aware of her disappearance,"  
  
Mr. 41 thought the suggestion over in his head, amber eyes glowing. Finally, he nodded.  
  
"I'm going to do just that," he announced, standing tall. "I think there is more to this than we realize. Mikoto would NEVER abandon Vivi's sons,"  
  
The genome nodded, frowning. "I agree. She loved those children,"  
  
The black mage sighed and started to turn away when a thought struck him and he stopped.  
  
"Wait. Who will take care of the children?"  
  
The female genome raised a questioning eyebrow. "I believe just about anyone here is just about suited to do so," she commented rather dryly. The genomes were finally beginning to grasp the concept of emotion. Their progress was most satisfying. However, Mr. 41 shook his head.  
  
"No, I'm not comfortable with that idea. I think I'll take the tykes with me up to Alexandria. If I recall, there is going to be a celebration there. The children will enjoy that,"  
  
He continued muttering to himself as he turned on his heel and went power- walking off, his staff clutched tightly in one hand. The genome watched him quietly, her blue eyes sparkling.  
  
"Be careful, sir . . ." she muttered.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: Whoa! That chapter was frickin' LONG! Hope it's not too much *glances around nervously* . . . I think this may have been my longest chapter so far ^_^ Well, updates are going smoothly so I don't think this story will be abandoned. I even know how it's going to end and all the characters and stuff. So . . . yay! And I have only one last thing to say:  
  
READ AN REVIEW OR I WILL PEEEEEEEEEEEEERISH! *cough* thank you . . .  
  
^*^ Black Mage Dad ^*^  
  
P.S. I'm not a boy! People always think that! "Dad" isn't referring to ME! (Isn't it obvious who it IS referring to?) And people always think I'm talking about Vivi! Isn't it easy to tell that I'm NOT! Don't get me wrong, though. I love that little dude. He is SO cute! *Gives Vivi a big squeeze*  
  
Vivi: *Gasp* Help me . . .  
  
Black Mage Dad: Never!  
  
Kuja: I thought you loved ME the best!  
  
Zidane: What about ME?!  
  
Black Mage Dad: God! So selfish! I love you all! Particularly you, Kuja *Bats eyelashes seductively*  
  
Kuja: *Takes a step back nervously* Uh oh . . .  
  
Hehehe . . . 


	6. The Mistress and the Master

A/N: Oh! I'm terribly sorry that took so long to get up! *gets laughed at because she thinks a week is a long time* Well, I usually get them up faster! So, I apologize for this and the poor writing I used in the last chapter. I know it sucked but chapter five was a not-very-important-and- had-to-get-out-fast chapter whereas this one is a changes-the-plot-and- causes-the-story-to-make-no-sense-without-it chapter. Isn't that nice? And I'm very excited because this one introduces a new character and my little villain! Yay ^_^ Me so happy! I love my villain! But he's kind of weird in this chapter. Oh well. He's actually been in a few before but its hard to tell. Yeah . . . Anyhow, enjoy! Thanks for all the reviews and keep handing them out! Also, if you haven't read Athena's story "Origins of the Dark Messenger" than you have missed something very special. I urge you to read it (but read Mute Hall first or it won't make any sense). It is such an unbelievable fic! And also, read "Fallen Brethren." Another awesome fic. Anyhow, enough advertising. Let us continue . . .  
  
Disclaimer: Own Final Fantasy? I wish . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Good night, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest . . ." - William Shakespeare (Hamlet, Act V, Scene 2)  
  
Kuja sat on the edge of his bed, staring into the space across the far wall. A million thoughts were swirling through his mind, adding to the weight he was feeling within his jumbled revelations.  
  
/I just revealed that I'm powerful . . ./ he thought slowly, wondering what the consequences would be. It certainly wasn't a good thing. What if people became suspicious?  
  
/And I can't seem to fight as well as I once could . . ./ That thought puzzled the genome greatly. For some reason, his skills seemed to have been toned down slightly. Only but a few years before the wound on his arm could have been avoided with the snap of a finger. But now he couldn't even concentrate on simple magic . . . What did that mean?  
  
/That monster was a spawn of the Mist . . ./  
  
"I just can't understand!" Kuja blurted out angrily, looking thoroughly frustrated. It had to be the most confusing concept of them all. He could still remember, two and a half years before . . .  
  
/Flash/  
  
"Kuja . . . We've got to kill them all . . ."  
  
The silver-tailed warlock cast his brother a cold look. "Zidane . . . Please . . ."  
  
Zidane returned it with a stubborn glare. "Kuja, it's our fault that they're out again. What will happen when they reach towns?! Cities?!"  
  
" But . . ."  
  
"Come on. I think I see a Mistodon over there . . ."  
  
/Flash/  
  
"But we killed the Mist monsters . . ." Kuja argued angrily to himself, his face clouded over with confusion. "We traveled together for six months and killed all of the Mist monsters . . . And the Iifa Tree before that," he lapsed into silence.  
  
A sudden creak told him that someone was opening the door, causing Kuja to snap out of his thoughts and raise his head at the sound of the squeak. He saw Megan entering nervously, something hidden behind her back and a shy smile on her face.  
  
"Hey," she muttered, shutting the door silently behind her. Kuja gave her a sort of half-smile.  
  
"Hey," he echoed.  
  
"You all right?"  
  
"Fine . . ."  
  
"Um . . . You sure?"  
  
Kuja tried to hide his impatience. "I'm sure . . ." Trying to fill in the silence . . . "You're family's very talented," he added, catching her eye. "The bite wound the dragon gave me is nothing more than a cut, and the poison has been completely extracted,"  
  
Megan nodded quietly, trying to explain. "Everyone in my family has been highly skilled in some sort of medical field. It's kind of cool, really," she broke off. Kuja raised an eyebrow curiously.  
  
"And what about you?" he queried, cocking his head to the side. Megan gave a short laugh, a look of the utmost irony on her face.  
  
"I can't. You know . . ."  
  
Kuja nodded, understanding.  
  
/She's afraid of blood . . ./  
  
Megan sighed, raising her eyes to the ceiling. Suddenly, she let out an agitated groan.  
  
"Oh man! I just have to ask!" she grunted in frustration. Kuja blinked at the sudden outburst.  
  
"What?"  
  
Megan looked rather embarrassed. However, the blush was immediately replaced by wide-eyed keen interest.  
  
"Feather . . . Where did you learn to fight like that?"  
  
/Shoot . . ./  
  
"Oh, that was nothing," Kuja tried to hide his disappointment. "Really . . ."  
  
"No," Megan argued. "That was definitely SOMETHING. I just don't know what . . ."  
  
Kuja lowered his gaze to the floor, trying to figure out what to say.  
  
"I've always been a good fighter," he stated, shrugging.  
  
/But you've never seen what I can REALLY do . . ./ the genome added silently to himself.  
  
"Well, you saved those three little girls," Megan commented matter-of- factly. "So you should feel honored,"  
  
Kuja didn't respond.  
  
/I don't know how I feel . . ./  
  
He looked up when he felt the bed beneath him sink slightly; before realizing Megan had plopped down onto the sheet next to him. She was giving him the puppy dog eyes for some reason. Kuja waited, feigning annoyance. Finally, he gave her a dry look.  
  
"Megan, what do you want?"  
  
The young girl pretended not to hear him. Kuja felt angry.  
  
"Megan, what do you want?! Come on! Tell me!"  
  
Megan smirked. Kuja's eyes flashed dangerously.  
  
"Megan, if you don't tell me what's going on, I'll show you what I can do when I'm REALLY pissed," Megan rolled her eyes, letting out a hasty breath.  
  
"Fine! Here!" she shoved the rolled up newspaper at him and turned away, pouting. "Don't get your hair all up in a knot!" Kuja gave her a final glare before unfolding the newspaper and gazing at the headline with curiosity.  
  
"Queen of Alexandria engaged to be married . . ." he read aloud, squinting at the tiny print. A molten wrath rose immediately in his stomach, bubbling up and making him want to puke.  
  
/Traitor./ he thought bitterly, trying not to scowl as he balled his fingers into a fist. /Zidane should be your one and only. How DARE you marry another. Traitor, traitor, traitor./  
  
"Well? What do you think?" Megan asked, turning to face the silver-tailed sorcerer. Kuja shrugged. Megan looked annoyed.  
  
"Don't you want to go?" she inquired, staring at him. It took a lot of effort for Kuja not to crumple the paper up and throw it out the window. Megan sighed. "Boy is she lucky. You know, they thought that boy was dead. Then, POP! He just shows up at her nineteenth birthday celebration, posing as an actor in the play,"  
  
/Traitor./  
  
"You know, he was the hero of the Great War,"  
  
THAT got Kuja's attention.  
  
"Excuse me?" he nearly growled, looking up sharply. Megan nodded distantly, looking away.  
  
"Yeah. You've probably heard his name. Zidane Tribal," she stated, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. Kuja started immediately.  
  
/Oh no . . ./  
  
"So," Megan began again. "Do you want to go to Alexandria for the festivities or not? I mean, Jesus! It's, like, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! How can we NOT go?!"  
  
/Oh no . . . Please no . . . /  
  
"Well?"  
  
/No . . ./  
  
"Hello? Gaia to Feather! Geez, man. You look like you've seen a ghost!"  
  
/Or heard about one . . ./  
  
Megan stared at Kuja a little while longer. When he wouldn't even acknowledge her presence, the young woman sighed and stood up.  
  
"I'll leave you alone to decide," she muttered, leaving the newspaper behind and heading back to the door. She cast one last look at Kuja and rolled her eyes.  
  
He just continued to stare into space.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ummei lay upon the floor, shivering. His clothes were shredded where the whip had lashed him and his skin was sliced thinly from the beating. He deserved it, of course. But that didn't stop it from being the most painful thing he'd ever felt in his entire life.  
  
"Ha," he heard someone hiss sarcastically nearby. Blinking in surprise at the sound, the green-eyed man rolled over onto his stomach - his head turned towards whomever had just made the rude noise - and found himself staring directly into a pair of livid blue eyes.  
  
"Oh . . . It's you . . ." he muttered dryly, embracing the cold tile against his cheek. Mikoto scowled, glaring at him.  
  
"Filth," she snarled, baring her teeth. Ummei would have almost been afraid of her if she hadn't been shackled down to the railing on the side of the ship.  
  
"Hey, I just got the shit beaten out of me because of you," Ummei snapped at the young genome, his eyes spelling death. "So have a little decency and SHUT UP!"  
  
"Make me,"  
  
"I swear I'll come over there,"  
  
"You can't hurt me. He told you not to. You'll get beaten again,"  
  
/Damn, she's good . . ./  
  
"Laugh all you want," Ummei taunted, pulling himself up carefully - wincing as the skin on his back began to sting again - and crawled into a sitting position upon the floor. "Because you're going to be really sorry later,"  
  
"Sure . . ." Mikoto just rolled her eyes, not looking remotely frightened. Ummei chuckled, finding it amusing that the young genome was so naïve to the situation.  
  
"Oh, you have no idea . . ." he told her honestly.  
  
"You have no idea . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
He was there again that night; that horrible dream. The same thing over and over. The boy, the tanks, the man, the screams, the laughter. Kuja couldn't pull himself out of it. Why?! Why was this vision coming to him so continuously?!  
  
So he decided to ask that night. Just as the little boy ran out of the back room, drenched in blood, the silver-tailed genome turned towards the green-eyed man, stepping in front of him so that they were looking eye to eye, confronting him sharply.  
  
"I want to know right now why you are forcing me to see this evil thing," he spat, glaring angrily. "And I want a decent answer or I will never sleep again! Then you won't be able to plague me with your taunts and mocking!"  
  
The man just laughed, his shoulders shaking. Raising an eyebrow, he turned away from Kuja and pointed his finger at the little silver-haired boy just as the child ran past.  
  
"Stop," he commanded, his leopard-like eyes boring into the sobbing youth.  
  
The boy froze in mid-action, still running, and abruptly collapsed, falling limply to the smooth tile floor. Kuja's stomach twisted in horror.  
  
"Wait! What are you - ?"  
  
"This is a warning,"  
  
Kuja started, blinking in surprise. It was not The Man's voice nor the little boy's. It was a woman talking! Just as Kuja was about to ask where the sound was coming from, the green-eyed man turned back around, a somber expression on his face. Except it wasn't a him.  
  
It was a her.  
  
"Who the hell are you?!" Kuja blurted out, staring at the woman before him. The strange female wore her hair the same way The Man had - pulled back into a low ponytail - however, her eyes were an odd violet color, piercing and deep. Dark circles lay heavily beneath them as if the weight of the world were upon her shoulders. Despite the fact that she probably wasn't more than thirty years old, the strange woman looked as if she had aged quite a lot within a few days. Her eyes were severe as she watched the silver-haired man sadly, shaking her head.  
  
"I am trying to warn you," she repeated, gazing quietly at the confused young sorcerer.  
  
"But who are you?!" Kuja shouted, feeling uneasy.  
  
The woman shuddered violently, clutching herself in sheer agony. Shocked, the silver-haired genome reached forward, his eyes flashing with concern. Her voice echoed suddenly from nearby.  
  
"You are being watched," she hissed, the statement carrying the slightest trace of a threat in it. Kuja glanced to his left and saw that the little boy had turned into an exact replica of the woman, sitting upon the ground and staring up at him with those ever-searching purple eyes. "These visions are being intercepted. I'm so sorry. I tried continuously to block them, however I was unable. He is more powerful than I. Still, I carry the same warning,"  
  
"And what's that?" the first angel of death asked, looking startled.  
  
"Beware of the Metsubo . . ."  
  
"The what?"  
  
The version of the mysterious lady who was hunched over in pain raised her eyes to stare at Kuja, her expression glazed.  
  
"He is trying to intercept the vision once more!" she cried suddenly, dropping to her knees. Kuja reached out to catch her, however, his hands went right through her trembling form. Still, she continued to speak, her voice low and dangerous. "Just remember,"  
  
Both the women began to speak simultaneously, each staring at him with a look of utmost pain on their faces.  
  
"Your soul was given to you, therefore, it can be taken away . . ."  
  
That snapped Kuja right out of his thoughts.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Mikoto couldn't stop glaring at Ummei. She hated him so much there weren't even words to describe it.  
  
"You know, this is all your fault!" the genome shouted, pulling angrily on her chains. Ummei was sitting against the far wall, apparently having been set for guard-duty. He gave her a rather bored look.  
  
"Give me a break . . ." he muttered, gingerly touching the raw spots on his back. "This is your fault too. You didn't have to fight back. If you'd have just let me taken you then I wouldn't have gotten in trouble,"  
  
Mikoto rolled her brilliant blue eyes. "So basically what you're saying is that I lose either way and you just happen to lose this time too?"  
  
Ummei blinked slowly and nodded. Mikoto got the feeling he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed.  
  
"I hate you," she growled, crossing her arms angrily. The chains scraped against the floor as she moved. Ummei just shrugged.  
  
"Whatever . . ."  
  
"And my big brother's going to kick your ass when he finds out what happened!"  
  
Mikoto was silenced by a blinding light flooding into the room and washing over the dim darkness that had settled upon the interior of the ship. The blonde covered her face with her shackled hands, squinting through the glare to see who was entering. A deep, mocking voice curled around her ears, causing her to become completely paralyzed. She saw that Ummei, too, was looking up in sudden fright.  
  
"Which big brother are you referring to?" a man questioned from the doorway, his voice low and dangerous.  
  
Mikoto blinked. A human stood before them, bathed in a fluorescent gleam. His hair was pulled back into a dark brown ponytail, wrapped by a leather cord. He couldn't have been more than twenty-five years old, yet he seemed battle-hardened in his own sense. His outfit was just like Ummei's only more decorated: brown-green cloak, large combat boots, gloves, dozen of golden bangles and bracelets and rings sprinkled with intricate designs. A thin, auric-colored shirt lay beneath the cloak; which was tied across the front with a series of strings. The outfit was so . . . (Mikoto couldn't believe she was using such a general word) futuristic . . . Like something she would have seen on Terra. Nothing peasant-like. Just . . . stunning. She also noticed, with a gulp, that a large gun sat within the holster around his leather belt (which hung at a jaunty angle), and a sword was cradled in his fingers on the other side.  
  
Mikoto found herself at a loss for words. Finally, she managed to cough up the first thing that came to mind.  
  
"What are you TALKING about?!"  
  
The man's face twisted into a sullen smile. Mikoto saw that he, too, sported those intoxicating green eyes that Ummei had. As a matter of fact, now that she thought of it, he looked disturbingly LIKE Ummei. It was so strange . . .  
  
"I asked you a simple question," the stranger stated simply, narrowing his eyes. "I asked you which brother you were talking about. Or are you as stupid as the rest of them?" Mikoto's jaw dropped open and she found herself boiling over in anger.  
  
"I only HAVE one older brother!" she snapped, feeling strangely flustered. How DARE he speak to her like that! As if she were . . . well, as if she were a common genome . . .  
  
The man raised a curious eyebrow. "Really? Last I heard, you had two," he commented, looking rather confused.  
  
Mikoto felt a hot wrath in her chest, topped by a sudden sadness she hadn't felt in years. The blonde-tailed genome trembled with rage.  
  
"My oldest brother's DEAD!" she screamed, pulling on the chains once more in a feeble attempt to escape. "How DARE you bring him up in my presence you . . . you . . . I don't even KNOW what the hell you are!"  
  
"You can call me whatever you want," the man told her, glancing quickly at Ummei. "None of it will really matter in the end,"  
  
Mikoto growled. "Fine then. YOU'RE A GOD DAMN MOTHER FU - "  
  
"Ummei, get me the files,"  
  
The votary scrambled up hurriedly, trying to hide his pain as the movement stretched the sensitive skin on his back. He began to head out the door when his master stuck out an arm and caught him squarely in the chest. He gave Ummei a look that clearly said "Stay put or die" and glanced back at Mikoto.  
  
"So you're saying your oldest brother is dead?" he asked, frowning. Mikoto glared at him.  
  
"Duh! He died three years ago after the Iifa Tree collapsed!"  
  
The Master (as Mikoto preferred to call him when she wasn't thinking "jerk") looked thoughtful.  
  
"Wasn't your second oldest brother in the tree also during the collapse?"  
  
Mikoto was about to ponder how the man knew this (since it wasn't common knowledge that both her brother's had been in the tree at the same time) when a sudden thought struck her and she realized exactly what the man was trying to say.  
  
/If Zidane made it out . . . then what would have stopped Kuja from doing just the same . . .?/  
  
The Master must have noticed the uneasy look on Mikoto's face because he nodded to himself and gave Ummei a slight push backwards.  
  
"I don't need the files anymore," he instructed, not taking his gaze off the female genome. "Her words have told me everything I need to know . . ."  
  
He turned towards Mikoto, his eyes gleaming dully.  
  
"You're oldest brother is not dead," he stated firmly, resting a hand on his hip. "At least, I don't believe he is. The Master would have told me,"  
  
Mikoto gulped painfully hard as the words sunk in.  
  
/There's a master ABOVE this guy?! Then who the hell am I dealing with, here?!/ The former Master continued on, ignoring the frightened look on Mikoto's face.  
  
"And besides, I highly doubt your big brother - " his eyes twinkled with amusement. "- would ever come to your aid, being the cold-hearted jackass that he is,"  
  
Mikoto gasped. "How DARE you!" she repeated for about the tenth time that day. Unfortunately, she knew the Master had a point. "Kuja just has a few issues, that's all!" she immediately clapped a hand over her mouth, realizing she'd revealed her deceased brother's name. Or at least she thought he was deceased . . . The Master laughed, his shoulders shaking.  
  
"So that's still his name, I see," he commented, holding the long sword up in front of himself and smoothing his fingers over its long blade. Mikoto was shocked to see that behind the sword sat a set of twin daggers. How many weapons did this guy need?!  
  
"How do you know my brother?!" Mikoto demanded, not sure whether to be angry or scared. The Master ignored her and nodded to Ummei, sheathing his sword.  
  
"Inform the others that we'll be ready to initiate the plan within the next two days," he informed the lesser, his eyes flashing with blood-lust. Ummei looked nervous.  
  
"So soon?"  
  
The Master nodded. "You heard the orders. ASAP,"  
  
Mikoto felt a chill run up her spine.  
  
"There are OTHERS on this ship?!" Her voice rose with nerves. The Master gave her a look of bemusement.  
  
"Many others, as a matter of fact," he stated. "Almost a hundred,"  
  
Mikoto's heart dropped like a stone.  
  
/No . . . way . . ./  
  
As Ummei began to scamper out the door, the Master grabbed his arm, spinning the poor guy around, and grinned.  
  
"And tell Him . . . Drakja is ready . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: Phew! That was long. But very fun to write. I got the idea while pulling weeds. Isn't that lovely? Anyhow . . . I . . .don't really have anything to say . . . Hmm . . . strange . . . Hey, guess what! My mom's addicted to Coke! As in, the soda, lol. Seriously! She's been clinically diagnosed as being addicted to Coca Cola! They're forcing her off of it ('cause she's diabetic) and now she's in withdrawal! Tell me that's not the weirdest thing ever?! Anyhow, please review. I'm very excited! Twenty-five reviews! Keep 'em comin'!  
  
+Black Mage Dad+ 


	7. To Go, or Not to Go? That, is the Quest...

A/N: Ah . . . another chapter up . . . And I have hardly gotten to the plot *sigh* But the reviews are coming in great! Seven for the last chapter! Seven! I am at a loss for words! Anyhow, I hope everyone's enjoying this fic because I know I am ^_^ So read and review!  
  
Disclaimer: Um . . . Final Fantasy is, like, not mine. Yeah . . .  
  
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"It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all . . ."  
  
- Samuel Butler  
  
"Blank! Think fast!"  
  
"Wha-?"  
  
SPLAT! Blank blinked, dumbfounded, as he had a head-on collision with a muffin.  
  
"Zidane! What the hell was that for?!" Blank shouted, rubbing the mush out of his eyes. Zidane just pointed at him and laughed.  
  
"Ha ha! Gotcha!"  
  
"Oh you are SO dead you little monkey!"  
  
Zidane ran off giggling as Blank chased him down the crowded Alexandrian street, peeling bits of the pastry off his face and throwing them at the galloping teen ahead of him. Marcus just rolled his eyes.  
  
"Some things never change . . ." he muttered, chuckling to himself.  
  
"I don't care if you ARE going to be king!" Blank's cries could be heard from the end of the street. "You're in BIG trouble! Come back here!"  
  
"Come and get me, pasty-face!"  
  
"Why you little - !"  
  
Cinna nudged Marcus hurriedly as he spotted Queen Garnet strolling leisurely down the street with a basket slung over her arm. People bowed as she passed and the young woman nodded her head to them in return, smiling. When she spotted the remaining members of Tantalus, her face brightened and she trotted towards them, grinning kindly.  
  
"Marcus! Cinna! What a pleasant surprise!" she exclaimed, curtseying daintily. The boys bowed rather clumsily, knocking into each other and cursing under their breath. Garnet just laughed.  
  
"Have you seen Zidane?" she asked, glancing around the stuffed market area in search of her fiancé. Marcus and Cinna stifled their laughter.  
  
"Sure have, miss!" Cinna guffawed, winking at his friend. "He and Blank are having a little tiff. I dub it: The Muffin Massacre,"  
  
Garnet frowned. "Don't tell me . . . He threw a muffin at Blank, didn't he?"  
  
Cinna's eyes widened with shock. "How did you know?" he queried, looking thoroughly surprised. Garnet sighed heavily, shifting the basket to her other arm.  
  
"He's been doing it to Steiner every morning now; since his proposal. In other words, for the past week," she muttered, shaking her head in embarrassment. "Quina's about ready to kill him,"  
  
Marcus and Cinna burst out laughing, hugging each other as tears streamed down their faces. The queen did not seem to find it as amusing as they did. Just as she was about to open her mouth to protest, a squeak escaped her throat. Steiner went tearing past them, throwing Garnet completely off balance. He was clutching something tightly in his hands and skidded to a halt before them, eyes dancing mischievously.  
  
"I've done it!" he cried, holding out the package for them to see. "I've done it!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"I've stolen all the muffins from the kitchen!"  
  
"Oh . . . Great . . ." Marcus glanced at Cinna. Cinna glanced at Marcus. They both glanced at the disgusted look on Queen Garnet's face. And collapsed into peals of laughter.  
  
"Oh man! This is too good for words!" Cinna choked out, his face beat red. "This celebration's going to be awesome if stuff like this keeps happening!"  
  
"Well don't expect it to," Garnet stated in a huff. "I don't want any trouble while everyone's here. And that means no riots!"  
  
"Aw, damn . . ."  
  
Garnet tapped her foot huffily, staring down her nose at the pair. They sighed.  
  
"All right . . ." A smile spread across her majesty's face.  
  
"Good. Let's keep things in order here. I don't want any trouble. This party's going to be fun . . . I've had enough adventures to last me a life time . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kuja spent the entire morning gazing out his window in confusion. That woman in his dream. Who was she? And what had she meant?  
  
/Flash/  
  
Your soul was given to you, therefore, it can be taken away.  
  
/Flash/  
  
Kuja frowned. "I know I'm going to die eventually but . . . how can my soul be taken away? And who would want it anyways? It's a terrible soul! It's weak and built only to last a short time,"  
  
Nothing seemed to add up or make sense. Everything had become a jumbled pile of fragments and the more he tried to understand it, the more confused he became.  
  
A soft sigh rolled off his lips.  
  
"I thought I could escape here . . ." the silver-tailed genome whispered, watching the pale morning sky. "But perhaps the whole world is nothing more than a cage . . ."  
  
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"Absolutely not. No. I won't allow it,"  
  
"But Mom!" Megan whined, slamming down her foot angrily. "It'll just be for a few days! What's the big deal?!"  
  
Mrs. Yorokobi turned and gave her daughter a cold look. "I don't want you going to another continent by yourself; all by yourself. It's too dangerous,"  
  
"But Feather might go!" Megan argued, jumping in front of her mother as the woman began rinsing the dishes in the sink.  
  
"All the more reason for me to say no,"  
  
"What?!"  
  
"You heard me,"  
  
"Mom!" Megan was on the brink of tears.  
  
"No. And if I have to ask you to stop pestering me one more time, I will lose my temper,"  
  
"But what has Feather ever done wrong?! In fact, he's proven to us that he's excellent at keeping people safe!"  
  
"Megan, I don't want to discuss this right now. I have my reasons for not wanting you and him to be alone together so far away,"  
  
Megan couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her mother had no reason to deny her the trip.  
  
"But this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!" she shouted, clenching her fists angrily. Mrs. Yorokobi set the dishes down hard on the counter with a sharp clang.  
  
"No. I said no,"  
  
Megan's eyes felt hot.  
  
/No. Don't cry. You can't let your mother see you acting like a baby. Then you'll have absolutely no chance at all./  
  
Lips tightening, Megan stormed out of the kitchen and thudded up the stairs like a raging rhinoceros. With a pent-up scream of frustration, she slammed the door of her room shut, causing the whole house to shake, and dissolved onto the bed.  
  
Mrs. Yorokobi sighed and grabbed a towel out of the cabinet. Her fingers moved gracefully through the pile of dishes as she dried them, masking the terrible feeling of guilt she housed inside.  
  
/I'm sorry honey./ she thought sadly. /But I just can't trust that man . . ./  
  
"Don't you think you were rather harsh?"  
  
The older woman turned around to see her mother-in-law standing behind her, looking rather concerned. Mrs. Yorokobi turned away icily.  
  
"No, I don't think I was," she stated firmly, wiping hard at a donut- encrusted plate. "I'd think you of all people would agree with me,"  
  
"I'm afraid I don't," the old woman responded, sliding in next to the younger.  
  
"But you were the one that -"  
  
"Yes. But only for your awareness,"  
  
Mrs. Yorokobi frowned. "What are you saying? That you believe him to be safe?"  
  
A small smile played across her mother-in-law's lips. "He's been in our house for two-and-a-half years and never done anything wrong. To be quite honest, he's mimicked that of a perfect angel,"  
  
"But what would stop him from doing harm outside of Katei?"  
  
"Nothing. And what would stop him from doing harm here?"  
  
Tears filled Mrs. Yorokobi's eyes and she brushed them away hurriedly. "I made a promise," she whispered, her fingers trembling as she let the water in the sink run freely. "I made a promise that day to my husband that his daughter would be safe. I PROMISED him,"  
  
The old woman put her arm around the trembling girl's shoulder, sighing sadly. "And I, too, made a promise that day," she continued. "To my son. That his daughter would always be happy. Are you going to deny her happiness?"  
  
"I . . . I feel so torn . . ."  
  
Megan's grandmother leaned toward the younger woman, eyes twinkling, and whispered quietly into her ear.  
  
"And I'm going to promise to you today. You're daughter WILL return safely. I promise,"  
  
Mrs. Yorokobi sniffled and released a shuddering sigh. Slowly, she nodded her head.  
  
"All right . . . She can go . . . If you have that much faith . . ."  
  
Megan's grandmother nodded, smiling.  
  
"That I do, miss. That I do . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kuja could hear the sounds of muffled crying drifting down from above his room. The silver-tailed sorcerer frowned and melted away from the window, heading towards the door. He wondered who was crying. It sounded like Megan. Pulling down his sleeves, Kuja decided it was worth checking out. As he trotted up the stairs, the sound became louder. It was definitely coming from Megan's room . . .  
  
Kuja hesitated when he reached her door. What if she didn't want company? What if she got mad that he was meddling in her affairs? What if . . . what if she was naked?! Kuja shook that thought hurriedly from his head, muttering "pervert," to himself, before grasping the brass handle firmly and opening the door as quietly and carefully as possible.  
  
He peered through the small crack he had made in the door and saw Megan sitting on her bed, head in her hands. The copper-haired woman's shoulders shook as she sobbed and the locks covered her face as she bent over in misery.  
  
"Megan?" Kuja whispered, looking concerned. "Megan, what's wrong?"  
  
Megan raised her head slowly, cheeks streaked with tears. She didn't feel like talking to him. "It's nothing . . ." she mumbled, looking away. "Just leave me alone . . ."  
  
Kuja ignored her request and strode into the room, sitting down upon the bed next to her. Megan looked up at him, frowning.  
  
"What?" she snapped, her voice a bit harsher than she had intended. Kuja just smiled.  
  
/God, I feel like Zidane . . ./ he thought bitterly to himself.  
  
"Why are you crying?" he asked curiously. Megan simply heaved a heavy sigh and shook her head.  
  
"Really, it's nothing," she stated, wiping briskly at her eyes. "Don't worry about me,"  
  
Kuja stared at her a little while longer. She was zoning out into space, thus, for the first time ever, he had a chance to admire the young woman without being chastised. She really was beautiful. Silky rustic hair, coffee-brown eyes, fair skin. Everything about her seemed right. Apparently, Megan felt Kuja's gaze on her because she turned her head slowly towards him, looking rather concerned.  
  
"Are YOU alright?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. Kuja just blinked and looked away, exhaling quietly.  
  
"You're a pretty neat girl," he commented rather suddenly, running his fingers through his hair. "I find you . . . interesting,"  
  
/Flattering words coming from the first Angel of Death, sweet. So you better not be offended./  
  
Megan didn't SEEM offended; just . . . surprised. "Oh . . . okay . . ."  
  
Their eyes locked for a split second and involuntarily the two found themselves leaning in ever so slightly. Kuja's fingers clenched. He could feel her breath on his face like leaves brushing gently against his cheeks. A strand of hair was covering her eyes but she didn't seem to notice. There was a moment of silence in which their lips seemed to ghost over each other before there was a loud knock on the door, jolting them both back with a hiss of surprise.  
  
Unfortunately, the door opened just in time for the visitor behind it to see them jerk away from each other. Mrs. Yorokobi stood in the doorway, lips tight.  
  
/Oh no . . ./ she thought miserably to herself. /Just pretend nothing's going on . . . Everything . . . is fine . . ./  
  
"Megan," she began, voice hoarse. "I've decided. You can go to Alexandria . . ."  
  
Megan's mouth dropped open in shock and her eyes widened. "Are you kidding?!"  
  
"Unfortunately not . . ."  
  
"Oh my god! I love you Mom!" Megan jumped up and threw her arms around her mother's neck, kissing her on the cheek over and over again. She couldn't express her feelings of joy. There were no words to describe it. The youth looked over her shoulder at Kuja, raising her eyebrows inquiringly.  
  
"Well?" she began, breaking away from Mrs. Yorokobi and holding out her arms. "Are you going to go or not?"  
  
There was a moment of silence. Megan desperately wanted Kuja to go, whereas Mrs. Yorokobi had no clue whether she wanted him to or not. On the one hand, Megan would not be able to keep herself safe alone. On the other hand . . . Well, the other hand was pretty self-explanatory.  
  
Kuja looked thoughtful.  
  
/To go, or not to go . . . That is the question . . ./  
  
/Flash/  
  
"Then, I finally realized what it means to live . . . I guess I was too late . . ./  
  
/Flash/  
  
"Oh hell!" Kuja exclaimed, jumping up. "You only live once! Why not?!"  
  
/And for me, that life may be quite drastically shorter than another's./ he added silently to himself.  
  
"So you'll go?" Megan interrogated, voice rising several octaves. Kuja grinned.  
  
"Absolutely,"  
  
Megan let out a squeal of delight and threw her arms around him, rocking him back and forth.  
  
"Yes! Yes! Yes! We are going to have SO much fun! This is going to be the best week EVER!"  
  
"Pray to god . . ." Mrs. Yorokobi murmured. But she couldn't help but smile watching the two youths. She could still remember when she had been young and antsy herself. Before "old age" had taken its toll. Kuja winked at her and she let out a small laugh.  
  
"Have fun, you two . . ." the elder muttered. "Have fun . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Mr. 41, where are we going?"  
  
"To Alexandria,"  
  
"Oh. Uh, Mr. 41? Why are we going to Alexandria?"  
  
"For lots of reasons,"  
  
"Oh. And when are we going to get to Alexandria?"  
  
Mr. 41 had to refrain from taping Getsuyo-Bi's mouth shut. "Not for several more days," he grumbled, trudging along the vast empty fields that spread out for miles along the Outer Continent. He had been traveling with Vivi's six children for a day at least and was finding them rather difficult to manage. Always asking questions! They were so curious! He blamed it on the genomes. They were always asking questions too.  
  
"When I get my hands on their father I'll . . ."  
  
"Mr. 41? What's that?"  
  
The black mage clenched his fingers into a fist as he slowed to a halt, feeling less tolerant of the children than usual. "Can we PLEASE refrain from asking . . . anymore . . . What the hell IS that?!"  
  
Something was skimming silently over the clouds like a deadly black shadow of the night, haunting the very air around them. It was absolutely soundless and yet it literally blocked out the sun as it passed. Mr. 41 hurriedly grabbed the children and dragged them down onto the grass, covering them with his body until The Thing had passed. When it was completely out of sight, he and the children stood up slowly, amber eyes turned towards the heavens.  
  
"Mr. 41, I'm scared . . ." Mokuyo-Bi whimpered, pulling his hat over his face. Their elder just frowned as he gazed in the direction that the mysterious shadow had vanished too.  
  
"I wonder if Zidane knows about this . . ." he whispered to himself.  
  
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A/N: Hmm . . . A mysterious shadow . . . Bum bum BUM! Lol. Anyhoo, in case you're wondering, since all of Vivi's kid's names (what a mouthful) are days of the week, Mokuyo-Bi is Thursday. His name wasn't mentioned in chapter three and neither was Friday's (Kinyo-Bi). There is no Saturday. Also, I forgot to mention something in one of the previous chapters. Ummei (you know, the stupid idiot on the ship with Mikoto) also has a Japanese word for a name. His name means destiny, fate, or fortune. Why, you may ask? I'm not totally sure to be honest . . . It might play a part later or not . . . He's actually not a very important character. Not only that, but he's kind of dumb (couldn't you tell?). Ummei just sounded cool. And the word Drakja doesn't mean anything in Japanese and neither does Lulian. Lulian was just some name I came up with when I was glaring at this girl named Lily that I hate. I think it's obvious where Lulian came from after that. As for the word Drakja, that will actually be important later, so stay tuned. Until then, read and review! At least five reviews before I continue por favor!  
  
P.S. Sorry this chapter's so short, considering I made y'all wait so long. I'll try and make the next one longer. Kay?  
  
Black Mage Dad 


	8. The Journey Begins

A/N: Alrighty then. I have posted once more. Hark! *Bows down to herself.* Anyways, I'm terribly sorry for the slow pace of this story. I assure you that once everyone gets to Alexandria it will all come together and begin to move much faster. I just need to unite my heroes and villains. And it's pretty obvious who is who, lol. Um, this chapter is a little longer so hopefully y'all can get some more out of it. And it explains a few things too. And leaves other things hanging even more . . . So enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: I may not own Square now . . . But someday I shall! Bwahahahaha!  
  
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"What you've done becomes the judge of what you're going to do - especially in other people's minds. When you're traveling, you are what you are right there and then. People don't have your past to hold against you. No yesterdays on the road . . ."  
  
- William Least Heat Moon, Blue Highways  
  
Kuja stood waiting outside the door of the Yorokobi residence, a backpack slung over one shoulder and a his hair pulled back gracefully off his face. A lot of the town had shown up, curious to see why the airship sat parked in the middle of the unpaved road. They talked amongst themselves, shooting glances at Kuja every once in awhile, as the small air-cab hummed casually, awaiting its passengers. The silver-tailed genome had, of course, arranged the ship himself. Little did his hosts know that he still had - after all those years - more money than the entire town combined. He'd simply found a local moogle and sent word to his auction house in Treno that he needed a withdrawal of . . . well, a withdrawal of a LOT of money. He'd made sure he could bring along just enough cash to buy Megan whatever she wanted. The trip was really for her. Kuja had discovered, much to his surprise, that she had never traveled much farther than Conde Petie. He figured he'd show her what there was to see in the world and buy her a few souvenirs along the way.  
  
And speaking of Megan . . .  
  
"What's taking her so long?" Kuja asked the young girl's grandmother, frowning slightly. The old woman just laughed, shaking her head.  
  
"Oh, just give her some time. Megan's been acting as if she were leaving the planet!"  
  
Kuja rolled his eyes and shifted the backpack to his other shoulder. In a few more minutes he was just going to go off without her . . .  
  
"I'm he-ere!" someone sang suddenly, there voice disgustingly sweet. Everyone looked up to see Megan jump down the steps of her home and trot up to her friend, balancing at least four suitcases in her arms. Kuja raised both his eyebrows in surprise.  
  
"Megan," he groaned, putting a hand on her shoulder. "We're only going to be there for three days! It's not like we're going to boot camp or anything!"  
  
Megan smiled. "I know. But I needed a lot of stuff. Like, um, my brush, and my make-up, and a set of casual clothes, not to mention a set of dressy things. And I need my jewelry, and of course my diary, and my . . ."  
  
Mrs. Yorokobi snuck up behind the brunette and clapped a hand over her mouth, growling lightly. Kuja nodded his head to her gratefully and steered the stupefied girl up the steps of the ship. Megan hissed and shoved him away testily before stomping up the last few steps, nose held high in the air and her backside stuck meaningfully in Kuja's face. He grinned and glanced back at Mrs. Yorokobi and her mother in law. They both looked teary eyed for some reason.  
  
Kuja tipped off the driver in the front of the cab and was about to shut the door when and arm stuck its way through the gap. Mrs. Yorokobi slid the door back open and squeezed inside. Megan, who was unloading her suitcases next to the seat, looked up in surprise.  
  
"Mom?"  
  
"Honey!" Mrs. Yorokobi ran forward and threw her arms around her daughter's neck, hugging her so tightly the poor girl was turning blue.  
  
"Mom! Let go of me!"  
  
"Oh, promise me you'll come back safe! It's a dangerous world out there!"  
  
Megan patted her mother awkwardly on the back. "Um, okay. I promise,"  
  
"Say it again,"  
  
"I PROMISE!"  
  
"That's my girl!" Mrs. Yorokobi placed her hands on Megan's shoulders and gazed blearily into her eyes. "Oh, you've grown into such a beautiful young girl. We're so proud of you," She brushed a finger over Megan's forehead, frowning slightly. Her eyes hardened as if she were angry and she turned to Kuja severely. "Don't let anything happen to her," she instructed, eyes narrowed. Kuja stared at her innocently.  
  
"Oh, come now. You know me better than that!" he defended, looking hurt. Mrs. Yorokobi scowled.  
  
/Yes . . . Yes I do . . ./  
  
"You're going to keep her safe?"  
  
"Of course,"  
  
"You swear to protect her with your life,"  
  
"To the best of my ability,"  
  
"Hmm . . . You have to promise me, too,"  
  
Kuja smirked. "I promise,"  
  
"Shout it!"  
  
"I PROMISE!"  
  
Mrs. Yorokobi couldn't help but grin. She gave him a tight hug, realizing suddenly that she'd miss his charming face, and kissed the sorcerer on the cheek.  
  
"You enjoy yourself now," she told them both, turning away. "And your grandmother gives you both her love,"  
  
Megan and Kuja nodded together as she gave them her last farewell wishes.  
  
"Stay out of trouble . . ."  
  
And the door slid shut with a dull snap.  
  
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The ride to Alexandria would take nearly twenty-four hours. Megan was very impatient and bouncy at first, however - after the first four hours - she became very tired and simply sat back in her seat and stared out the window, looking intent on nothing.  
  
"So . . ." Kuja began, deciding he was a bit bored himself. "You've never left the Outer Continent?"  
  
Megan tore her eyes off the window and nodded, sighing. "Yeah . . . I've never had a need to,"  
  
Kuja smiled. "I would die of boredom without traveling,"  
  
"Yeah, well, that's pretty much what I was about to do anyways," Megan smirked. "But I haven't always lived in Katei, of course,"  
  
Kuja looked up sharply, rather surprised. "Really? I didn't know that . . ."  
  
Megan shrugged, and yawned, leaning back against the seat. "Yeah, I used to live in a village near the edge of the continent. We moved when I was nine,"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Tornados,"  
  
"Tornados?"  
  
Megan shrugged again, turning her attention back to the world outside the air-cab. "Uh huh. The town was ravaged by tornados so my family left,"  
  
Kuja frowned. "There hasn't been a tornado on the Outer Continent in years. Before you were nine, that's for sure,"  
  
Megan shifted uncomfortably. "Well, maybe it was a hurricane . . . I don't know! The village was destroyed by natural disasters and we fled! My father, unfortunately, was not so lucky. He died when the tornados hit. I . . . saw him die . . ."  
  
Kuja hesitated. "I'm sorry . . ." the silver-tailed genome muttered. He really was. There was a moment of silence in which he stared down at the floor, trying to comprehend such horror.  
  
"Yeah. That's the source of my phobia," the brunette explained, face passive. "He bled to death while handing me over to my mother and grandmother. It was . . . indescribable . . ."  
  
Silence settled over the airship once more leaving nothing but the whir of its engines rolling around in their ears. Kuja bit his lip.  
  
"Well, if it's any comfort at all," he said slowly, glancing back at his partner. "I can assure you that his spirit is safe. With the Iifa Tree destroyed, his soul will be free!"  
  
Megan's eyes flicked onto the genome, expressionless. "I heard some souls were not free . . . But I don't understand what that means . . ."  
  
Kuja paled as he felt a sudden wave of nausea pass through his body. He shuddered and leaned forward slightly. Megan blinked.  
  
"Are you okay?" she queried, tilting her head inquiringly.  
  
"Yeah . . ." Kuja lied, feeling the world tip slowly beneath his feet.  
  
"You look awful!"  
  
"I'll . . . be okay . . . It must be the ship or something . . ."  
  
The sickness passed as suddenly as it had come and Kuja straightened himself, wiping the cold sweat off his brow. What had THAT been? Megan still seemed unsure.  
  
"I thought you traveled all the time,"  
  
Kuja forced a weak smile. "I do. Or should I say, I did. I've been just about everywhere, as a matter of fact,"  
  
"You'd never been to Katei before," Megan pointed out, grinning superiorly. Kuja chuckled lightly.  
  
"True. But I've been within at least ten miles of it,"  
  
"You've even been to the Forgotten Continent?"  
  
"Several times,"  
  
"And Alexandria?"  
  
Kuja cringed. "Yes . . ." He felt a slight nervousness stir within him that he had been anticipating for quite some time. "I've been to Alexandria many, many times,"  
  
Megan smiled warmly. "Then this shouldn't be such a spectacular trip!"  
  
Kuja laughed. "Yes it will be! I've never been to an Alexandrian party! I used to only travel to the Mist Continent for business, business, and more business,"  
  
His friend made a disgusted face. "That sounds boring,"  
  
Kuja took a deep breath. "If only you knew . . ." he mumbled.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Nothing . . . Just reminiscing . . ."  
  
"You know . . ." Megan began, tapping a finger to her chin thoughtfully. "My grandmother was up in Alexandria a few years ago. During that terrible time when their Queen Brahne was starting up pointless wars,"  
  
Kuja shivered. He didn't want to talk about those days. Megan continued anyways, ignoring the grotesque look on the silver-haired man's face.  
  
"She talked all about the high courts. It was rather interesting. The succession seemed to go on forever. Brahne, Garnet, - the current queen - General Beatrix, Captain Steiner, and I even skipped a bunch!"  
  
Kuja wrinkled his nose. "Yes, I've meet the whole court," he explained distastefully.  
  
Now it was Megan's turn to be surprised. "Really? All of them?"  
  
/I was one of them . . ./ Kuja thought.  
  
"Yes. It was no big deal," he stated aloud. "They were all rather stuck- up anyways,"  
  
/Just like me . . ./  
  
Megan scratched her head and crossed her legs. "My grandmother witnessed Queen Brahne's burial," she muttered sadly. "It was terrible. You know, she was only forty years old,"  
  
Kuja shifted uneasily in his seat and tried to hide his pain as memories flooded back to him.  
  
"I know . . ." he rasped.  
  
/I did it . . ./ he thought miserably. /That was my doing . . ./  
  
Megan continued on, still gazing out the window. "Grandma told me about how she died. Brahne had been planning a sneak attack on some nemesis of hers and he boomeranged it right back on her. That was the man that tried to destroy the universe and stuff,"  
  
/God . . . Please stop . . ./  
  
"She died on the beach. Burns, broken bones. Half her fleet was dead and the rest were seriously injured. Millions of gil in damages,"  
  
Kuja cut the young woman off though his voice was barely above a whisper.  
  
"I was at the funeral too . . ." he stated, lowering his head slightly.  
  
/Flash/  
  
"And it is, on this day of June 21st, that we honor a woman whose life was drastically cut short and whose reign was stolen from beneath her feet by no fault of her own,"  
  
Kuja smirked as he rested against the fence around the gravesite, leaning upon the railing jauntily, his hood lowered over his eyes and face. He found General Beatrix's eulogy rather boring.  
  
"Our queen should not have had to die the way she did; taken down by the power she so desired herself,"  
  
"Sure . . ." the genome rolled his eyes.  
  
"Our Queen Brahne was a grand woman . . ."  
  
"Around the middle, yes,"  
  
"And so it is, perhaps, a lesson to us all,"  
  
Kuja chuckled. "Perhaps . . ."  
  
"That evil merely begets evil . . ."  
  
There was a moment of silence. People wept quietly in the crowds of thousands stationed around the Alexandrian burial site. Kuja yawned openly.  
  
His eyes suddenly caught that of an old woman nearby. She was staring hard at him, her lips tight. Kuja raised his face slightly so that their eyes met, and a small smile crept across his pale lips. He blew her a kiss.  
  
"Mr. King," someone whispered in his ear, tapping him gently upon the shoulder. "We request that you appear in the court immediately to prepare for the inauguration of Princess Garnet," he paused. "We most humbly beg that you show up as soon as you have paid your respects,"  
  
Kuja brushed the man away and gave him a swift glance. "Of course . . ." His eyes locked on the old woman's again. She gave him a look of the utmost . . . pity, was it? and walked away, sprinkling a small bit of crushed rose powder upon the ground as she left. It was a tradition in Alexandria that the deceased royals had their graves coated with roses heads, petals, and powder; as the rose was the symbol of the Alexandrian army. Kuja smirked as she vanished back into the crowd.  
  
Turning back to the grave, the Treno noble let out a small sigh. "Ah, such a pity my great queen. You sought so long and fell so fast. My blessings to you,"  
  
The last thing anyone saw of the mysterious white-cloaked man in the cemetery was his fair fingers gracefully dropping something upon her grave before vanishing into the crowd with a swish of his cape.  
  
Spectators let out a collective gasp as they saw the item lying harmlessly upon the over-turned soil.  
  
A black rose . . .  
  
An Alexandrian soldier's hand flew up to her mouth.  
  
"The Dark Messenger is here . . .!"  
  
Beatrix looked up sharply from the nearby podium and a sad look crossed her face.  
  
Mr. King never appeared at the inauguration meeting . . .  
  
/Flash/  
  
"Feather? Hey Feather, you all right?"  
  
Kuja glanced up at his worried friend and nodded numbly. "Yeah . . . I just forgot about how terrible the funeral was . . ."  
  
Megan's face twisted into a frown. Feather seemed strangely apprehensive of something . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Mikoto was too tired to glare at Ummei. Eventually, she fell asleep on the floor. Ummei blinked when he realized his charge was unconscious. Then he shrugged and went back to twirling the rope of his whip around his finger.  
  
All at once, the weapon was snatched out of his hands and he found himself staring up into a pair of intense green eyes, just like his own, only female.  
  
"Lulian!" he gasped starting with surprise. Lulian smiled sinisterly and straddled herself over his legs, placing her hands on his shoulders.  
  
"Well if it isn't Ummei!" she teased, leaning in close to his face. Ummei, in turn, leaned back, pressing against the wall. It stung his skin something awful.  
  
"Wh-what do you want?!" he choked out, deathly afraid of the woman who was locking him back against the side of the ship. Lulian grinned.  
  
"Just came to say hi,"  
  
"Uh . . . hi . . ."  
  
Lulian giggled. It held no mirth. Her dress was cut really low . . . and it was right in Ummei's face. He tried not to stare. From what he'd heard, she was the Master's . . .  
  
Lulian let go of her lackey's shoulders and backed away from him. But not before giving his cheek a final pinch. Ummei rubbed his face dejectedly as the scantily-clad woman swung her way over to where Mikoto was lying. Lulian's high-heels clicked rhythmically upon the floor, echoing around the cavernous walls. It woke up the genome immediately.  
  
"Oh, look how cute!" Lulian squealed, patting Mikoto on the head in delight. "A little genome! Oh, she's so sweet!"  
  
Mikoto snapped at her hand. Lulian seemed to find this amusing and she waggled a multi-ringed finger in the blonde's face.  
  
"Ah, ah, ah! Let's not get feisty here! Not if we're all going to be friends!"  
  
"Oh go to - "  
  
"Lulian!"  
  
The brunette glanced over her shoulder at the door where the Master was standing, bathed in light and frowning.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"We've located the exact spots and coordinated our entire plan. We'll be ready in two days,"  
  
Lulian scowled. "Oh dear. We're running behind,"  
  
The Master shook his head, ponytail slapping his shoulders. "No. Everything's going EXACTLY according to plan,"  
  
Lulian flashed her pearly white teeth, grinning. Mikoto saw it again, the eerie resemblance between Ummei, Lulian, and the Master. Brown hair, green eyes, really tall, same bone structure. It was kind of creepy . . .  
  
"So what are we supposed to do with THIS nincompoop?" Lulian queried, nodding her head to Mikoto as if she were a pile of smelly garbage. Mikoto was too tired to protest. She could feel her eyelids drooping again. It was from that damn fighting the day before . . . She never should have fought back. She should've just run for it . . .  
  
Her jailer refused to meet the genome's eyes. "The Master told me to keep her here until we've completed our first task," he explained. "He voiced the entire plot to me. It makes sense,"  
  
"But she's just a little stick!" Lulian complained, scowling. The Master gave her a look of pure death.  
  
"That's not the point. It's the inside that's important. You'd best remember that . . ."  
  
Lulian rolled her eyes. "Oh, you're so hypocritical Mister Drives-People- Crazy-About-Their-Appearance!"  
  
The Master's face became even colder than usual and he flicked a loose strand of hair over his shoulder.  
  
"Ummei. Go alert the others. I'm going to move our little prisoner down to the lower levels,"  
  
Ummei nodded and stood up. As he headed towards the exit, the servant's back became turned towards Mikoto for the first time. The genome noticed that his belt was hooked on funny . . . The blonde cocked her head to the side, trying to see what was wrong with it.  
  
A small gasp escaped her lips at what she saw next.  
  
"No!"  
  
Her eyes flitted onto Lulian and the Master. Them too!  
  
"No! What the hell is this?!" she cried out, struggling against her bonds. Lulian smiled warmly at her boss.  
  
"Aw, she's so cute when she's upset!"  
  
The Master nodded, a small smirk on his face as well.  
  
"Yes . . . Just like her brother . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: Whoa . . . that was odd . . . Lulian sure seemed ditsy in this chapter _ But later on she won't be quite like that as much. In fact, she's going to start going from ditsy to very devilish. For whatever reason, I picture her as a brunette, green-eyed Christina Aguilera. Outfits and all. Lulian is very, very slutty at times . . . And I promise I'll at least LAND the characters in Alexandria in the next chapter. Maybe even start them off there! Anything to get this fic moving . . . So read and review! I need my motivation! 


	9. Alexandria: Part 1

A/N: Blah . . . I hardly got any reviews for the last chapter . . . Me very disappointed. Anyways, this chapter is VERY, VERY long! I'm just warning you now. And it's only part one! What has become of this world?! Also, Lulian is going to do something really weird in this chapter and I don't want to people to think it means something that's not true. I'll just say this now: she's not a dog. None of them are. So don't THINK they are! 'Cause they're not! Got that? Good. Well, I hope I get more reviews for this chapter. I need to keep my motivation up. Read and review!  
  
Disclaimer: If I owned Final Fantasy, I wouldn't be sitting here begging for reviews like a dog pleading for biscuits . . . How pathetic is that . . .? (Don't answer that, lol).  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life. Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof."  
  
- Richard Bach, Illusions [1977]  
  
"Oh . . . My . . . God!" Megan clapped a hand over her mouth at the sight that met her and her friend as they stepped off the ramp of the air-cab. The colors! The noise! The smells! The festivities!  
  
Alexandria gave the illusion that it had been thrown over with streamers and paint of every color. Signs and shops everywhere were decorated and people ran around screaming and partying. There was music floating out from somewhere nearby and a carnival in progress near the square. The sounds of children laughing, dogs barking, and people singing was almost deafening. The smell of something cooking wafted out of nearly every building. Megan had never seen such a celebration!  
  
Kuja grinned at the stunned look on his partner's face. "What do you think?" he asked, peering carefully at her to see if she hadn't turned into a statue. Megan's eyes widened.  
  
"So cool!" she screamed, grabbing two suitcases and taking a step forward. Kuja quickly snagged her by one shoulder and shook his head.  
  
"No, Megan," he commanded as if she were a dog. "I'm supposed to keep you safe. You can't just go running off like that,"  
  
Megan looked thoroughly disappointed. "Damn . . ."  
  
Kuja smiled and bent over one of the bags. He pulled out a sleek white cloak and put it on hurriedly, buttoning up the front and pulling the hood over his head. Megan gave him a queer look.  
  
"Uh . . . Feather . . . Isn't it kinda hot for a cloak?"  
  
Kuja didn't answer her and grabbed the remaining suitcases. Brushing past the brunette's shoulder, the tall genome gave a final nod to the cab driver and went walking briskly down the road. Megan looked back over her shoulder as the cab lifted back into the air with a flurry of dust and then went tearing off after the silver-haired man as fast as she could.  
  
"Hey! Wait for me!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Zidane stared out the window of his bedroom in Alexandria Castle, expression flashing from joy to longing to sadness to mirth every few seconds. Never before had he wished for so many things at once. The party outside was raging yet he remained tucked away from the action. But by his own volition of course . . .  
  
Someone knocked on the door and he gave a weak "Come in" before returning to his gazing. Heavy footsteps, a grunt, and a sneeze informed the genome that Baku Tribal was entering.  
  
"What the hell are ya doing in here, ya little punk?" the leader of Tantalus demanded, grabbing Zidane roughly by the shoulders and spinning him around so that they faced one another. Zidane rolled his eyes.  
  
"You just couldn't leave me alone for ONE MINUTE, could you?!" he snapped sarcastically, rubbing his sore shoulder. Baku gave him a smile that would send shivers down anyone's spine.  
  
"One minute?! You've been in here for hours! What the hell's your problem?! You're gonna be runnin' this damn country soon! So deal with it!" Zidane turned icily back to the window, glaring intensely outside.  
  
"I'm just having conflicting feelings right now, okay?!"  
  
Baku shook his head sadly. "I always knew you was weak . . ."  
  
Zidane whirled around instantly, blue eyes flashing with anger. "Don't you dare call me weak!" he growled. "I kicked the crap out of you that day on the Theatre Ship! Don't you go givin' me this shit about - "  
  
Baku chuckled and clapped a platter sized hand down on Zidane's head, mussing up his hair. "Nah, it's all right boy. I understand. You've got a lot on your plate right now. But at least you've got a beautiful young woman to share the load with, eh?" he nudged Zidane in the ribs. The genome grit his teeth together. The nudge felt like a power drill.  
  
"Yeah, that is kinda nice . . ."  
  
"Kinda?! Count your blessins' boy!" he held up a hand as Zidane made another face. "Nah, I'm just teasin' ya. But if ya get the chance, you might want to go spend some more time with your people. Alexandria, the queen, and yeah, even your old buddies from Tantalus. We miss ya,"  
  
"Really?"  
  
"No. Not really,"  
  
"Boss!" Baku just crowed with laughter once more, clutching his large belly.  
  
"No, no. I'm just teasin' ya again. Jus' be glad we all like ya. Ruby's pining away by herself down at the theatre. You might want to drop by later,"  
  
Zidane nodded, wondering if he felt better or worse. Baku frowned slightly.  
  
"You're missin' a few people, ain't ya?"  
  
Zidane blinked. "Whaddya mean?" he asked suspiciously, eyes narrowed.  
  
Baku cleared his throat heavily. "I mean the genomes. Ain't they kinda like your brothers and sisters?"  
  
Zidane turned back to the window, leaning against the sill. "I guess you could say that . . . But in reality, I only had two true relatives . . ."  
  
There was a moment of silence. Baku stifled another sneeze.  
  
"Why do I get the feelin' you miss him?"  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Oh, don't pull that crap on me! I'm not an idiot, ya know! You may have kept your silence pretty damn well but we all know that deep down inside you loved that man like a brother. You would never admit it, of course. But you've always been like that. Tantalus was like your brothers and you would have died for any one of them. Even if they had stabbed you in the back and tried to kill you and destroyed your home and - "  
  
"All right, I get the picture! But you're wrong. I never thought of Kuja as a brother. After the Iifa Tree, he was just another companion trying to get on my back about everything . . ."  
  
/Flash/  
  
"Why did you abandon your friends for me?! I'm not worth that!"  
  
/Flash/  
  
"And besides - even if I was sad when he died - that was three years ago!" Zidane shouted, voice rising.  
  
"Two and a half," Baku corrected immediately, trying to quiet his adopted son down. "You told me the two of you traveled for six months or so,"  
  
Zidane nodded. "Whatever . . . Two and a half years . . . That was a long time ago! I'm well over any feelings I ever had at his death!"  
  
"I don't think you are,"  
  
"I know I am,"  
  
"So why do you still wear that silver feather around your neck?"  
  
Zidane paled instantly and clasped a hand around his throat, feeling protectively for the silver chain he always kept hidden beneath his shirt. Baku smirked in a rather superior fashion and put his hands on his hips.  
  
"I thought so . . ."  
  
"No, you don't understand!" Zidane argued, face flushed with embarrassment. "Yes, this was one of his feathers! But I couldn't just let it get blown away! Kuja always prized his clothes over anything else! It would have been an insult to his memory to let it get eaten or something,"  
  
"Liar. It's all you have left of him,"  
  
"But - "  
  
"No. Don't argue with me. I've known you since you was four years old and of all the members of Tantalus, I know you better than any of them. Even Blank. You don't have to get so defensive. I understand that Kuja was your only brother. And what he did for you at the end proves that maybe he felt the same way. Family is an important thing and I wouldn't want you to lose it just for the price of your dignity and humility. Got that?"  
  
Zidane hesitated, staring hard at his boss. ". . .Yes sir . . ."  
  
"Good. Now get outside! You're missing all the excitement!"  
  
Zidane couldn't help but grin. Now he KNEW he felt better.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Megan ran up and down the streets, buying this, buying that, oohing, aahing, and of course, smiling. Kuja knew instantly that she was having the time of her life.  
  
"Oh my god, Feather! Look at this!" Megan exclaimed, coming to a screeching halt before a booth on the side of the road. Kuja came up slowly behind her and saw that she was leaning over the side of a fence, staring wide-eyed at the contents within. The silver-tailed genome read the sign:  
  
Baby Chocobo for Sale. Bobby Corwen. 2000 gil.  
  
A small frown creased his face.  
  
/Don't tell me this silly girl wants to buy a chocobo . . ./  
  
"Excuse me?! Sir?!" Megan waved an arm to get the attention of the owners running the booth. Someone came out of the small door in the back, wiping their hands on a cloth. Kuja let out a small curse and turned away hurriedly.  
  
"A black mage!" he hissed to himself. "Damn it! I thought they were all dead!"  
  
"Can I help you, miss?" the black mage asked kindly, placing the rag down off to the side. Megan nodded.  
  
"Yeah, I was just wondering. Is that chocobo going to get a good home?"  
  
"Bobby Corwen?"  
  
"Yeah. Him,"  
  
"Of course!" the mage exclaimed, placing a hand on Megan's shoulder. "I would never sell him to someone untrustworthy! My people and I have been raising him since he was an egg!"  
  
The brunette leaned over the fence and made a cute face to Bobby Corwen. He cocked his yellow feathered head and let out a small "kweh." Megan squealed with delight.  
  
"Oh my god! He's so adorable!" she cried, clutching herself to keep from bursting. Kuja pulled his cloak around himself tighter.  
  
/Don't buy the chocobo . . . Don't buy the chocobo . . ./ he thought desperately to himself. The black mage was laughing.  
  
"He IS a darling, isn't he?"  
  
"Oh, totally!"  
  
"Do you want him?"  
  
/Shit . . ./  
  
Megan looked rather uneasy. "Gee . . . I don't know. I raised a chocobo once when I was little but he was already four years old,"  
  
"Why, Bobby Corwen is only three!"  
  
"Yeah . . . That's true . . ." Megan tapped a finger to her chin thoughtfully. "Well, I'll ask Feather here. Hey! Feth!" the young woman prodded Kuja in the shoulder, grating on his temper immensely. "What do YOU think? Chocobo or no?" she giggled at the rhyme. Kuja shook his head hurriedly, afraid to speak. The black mage would recognize his voice in an instant.  
  
"What?! Why not?!"  
  
"Transportation," Kuja grunted, pulling on the strings of his hood nervously. Megan raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Are you kidding? What's the big deal?"  
  
"It's a nuisance . . ."  
  
/I know that chocobo./ the genome realized, gut clenching. /What if the stupid bird recognizes me?!/  
  
Megan sighed, turning back to the black mage. "Well . . . I'll be back I assure you. So only sell him if the customer seems absolutely perfect. Okay?"  
  
"Not a problem!" the black mage stated, dusting off his coat.  
  
"Oh, and what's your name in case I need to confirm that I was here previously?" Megan queried, grinning as Bobby Corwen blinked tranquilly up at her.  
  
"Ah, my name is Mr. 288, ma'am,"  
  
Kuja started. Mr. 288 would recognize him from a mile away! The rebel had been one of his higher ranking mages. Megan smiled and shook hands with the amber-eyed mage.  
  
"Thank you, sir,"  
  
"No. Thank YOU,"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Zidane pulled on his coat and headed for the front doors of the castle, praying the covering would make his less conspicuous. As he reached for the door-handle, a gloved hand fell down upon his wrist, causing the genome to jump. Zidane's eyes followed the arm up to a tall woman with curly brown locks.  
  
"Oh, hey Beatrix!" he laughed nervously, relieved that it was merely the female general. Beatrix cocked her head curiously.  
  
"Going somewhere?" she asked, removing her hand and placing it instead upon the hilt of her sword - Save the Queen. Zidane nodded, sighing.  
  
"Yeah. Thought I'd go see some of the action. I mean, this IS going to be my country soon,"  
  
"That's true," Beatrix's lip twitched as she thought of Zidane running a country. It sounded kind of cute.  
  
"What's so funny?"  
  
"Oh, nothing. Go have fun," she hesitated. "Is something wrong?"  
  
Zidane blinked in surprise. "What do you mean?"  
  
"I dunno. You just seem . . . blah . . . that's all,"  
  
"No! I'm fine! Just . . . tired, I guess,"  
  
"Hmm . . . Well, all right. Go enjoy yourself,"  
  
Zidane smiled and flung open the door, stepping out into the bright sunshine. Beatrix slowly closed the door behind him and frowned. Something was amiss . . . Her general's intuition told her something was either going on or preparing to go on . . .  
  
Unsheathing her sword, the general opened the door and crept outside.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"What's your problem?!" Megan shouted as she and Kuja walked down the bustling road to the inn they were staying at. "Why wouldn't you talk to the mage?! And what the hell is up with the cloak?!"  
  
Kuja was grinding his teeth a lot more than was probably good for them. "Please, Megan. Can we talk about this some other time? We need to get to the inn and deposit our stuff. Then we'll go on more sightseeing,"  
  
The promise of more tourism seemed to soften Megan's mood up a little. But just a little. She took to glaring forward, fists at her sides, eyes flashing dangerously. Kuja just ignored her.  
  
Once at the inn, the two seemed to calm down a little. It was a quaint little place, looking just like any other overnighter in Alexandria. Small, brick roofing, two floors. But definitely not too shabby. At least, not shabby enough that Kuja was silently complaining in his mind.  
  
"All right, let's go," the genome muttered, tail thrashing as he put down a suitcase and opened the door.  
  
The woman behind the counter was sitting with her elbows up on the desk, filing her nails. Her dark brown hair was almost completely covering her face.  
  
"Um . . . excuse me?"  
  
"Wha - ?" the woman, rather startled, looked up and her eyes widened to the size of saucers. "Could it be? No! It couldn't be! Megan? Yorokobi?"  
  
Megan stared at the receptionist for a moment, seemingly unsure. "Uh . . . have we met?"  
  
The woman jumped up and held out her arms, grinning. "Megan! It's me! Amy!"  
  
"Amy?! Oh my god!" Kuja's companion ran forward and threw her arms around the hostess, laughing. "Amy, I haven't seen you in years! What are you doing here?!"  
  
Amy pulled back, still smiling, and shrugged. "Why, I'm living my life's dream! Being a concierge!" she stated sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "I left Katei for a better life and - hell - I AM making more money. But it's pretty droll up here. Luckily, the party's kinda picked things up. So, how've you been?" the dark-haired woman glanced over Megan's shoulder at Kuja who made sure his hood covered his eyes. "Seems like you've done a good job," she winked. "Dark and mysterious. Perfect," Amy clucked and gave her a thumbs up. "So what's his name? He's cute,"  
  
Megan chuckled, shaking her head. "We're not dating," she tried to explain, shrugging. "You shouldn't have left so early. You missed the action. The poor guy dragged himself to our town about two and a half years ago and nearly bleed to death in the street. Mother and Grandmother healed him and he wound up living with us. He's taking me sightseeing," Megan smiled proudly. Amy's eyes widened.  
  
"So he's not taken? Can I have him?"  
  
Megan gave Amy a playful shove in the shoulder. "You most certainly can not! I wouldn't be able to look at you two the same ever again!"  
  
Amy let out a disappointed sigh. "Darn . . . I guess I'm gonna have to kill you . . ." the two burst out laughing, leaving poor Kuja confused and holding many suitcases. Megan coughed nervously and went back to the genome, grabbing her bags.  
  
"Well, we should probably drop our stuff off,"  
  
Amy nodded and reached under the desk. "Sure. Here's a key,"  
  
Megan nodded her thanks. "Yeah, we're going to head back out again. Don't want to miss any of the fun,"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Mikoto shivered as she lay beneath the depths of the ship. How . . .? How could this have happened . . .? She hugged herself into a fetal position, trembling. What she had seen . . . It was impossible . . .  
  
There was a creak and the door swung open, throwing a rectangle of light over her body. She refused to look up at them, those foul things.  
  
"Hmm. Our charge hasn't escaped yet," it was definitely the Master. Mikoto squeezed her eyes shut, whimpering. "I'm disappointed. He told me she was powerful. Well, I must see the others for myself then,"  
  
"Of course," the voice was a sinister giggle. Lulian . . .  
  
"And we are finally ready, thank heavens. He was beginning to get impatient. And luckily for us, much of Gaia is in one spot,"  
  
"Perfect,"  
  
Mikoto opened her eyes just a little, watching Lulian and the Master - Drakja - whatever the hell his name was. They were standing in the doorway, glancing over at her occasionally.  
  
"Are you ready to get the others out of here?"  
  
"Ready as I'll ever be,"  
  
"All right. You leave first. They will follow. And then I shall too,"  
  
Lulian nodded, smirking, before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. Mikoto sucked in the stale air sharply with surprise as, right before her very eyes, Lulian's body melted away, reshaping and reforming. The thing pulled itself onto all fours, legs breaking backwards, a bushy tail forming at the back. Hair puffed out along her body and her ears raised into furry triangles atop her head.  
  
She had become a German Shepard . . .  
  
The transformed woman gave a whine, turning away, and went flying out of sight, tail and all. Mikoto just curled herself in tighter.  
  
The Master grinned, running his fingers through his hair.  
  
"So it begins . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Megan and Kuja continued their trip around Alexandria. The partying continued and more than once they both had to jump out of the way as someone went tearing by with streamers, screaming and laughing. Megan was still excited about her run-in with Amy.  
  
"Yeah, Amy was living in Katei for as far back as I can remember. She left when she decided it was unfair that the boys can escape easier than the girls can. I guess she's doing pretty well,"  
  
Kuja nodded absently, looking around at the shops. How had they rebuilt Alexandria so fast? Was it just him or had it doubled in size? He smirked to himself.  
  
/Garland would be so pissed if he saw this place now . . ./  
  
They turned into an empty back alley, trying to avoid going around in circles within the massive city. Behind the action, the buildings were much tighter, the air much darker. The smell . . . much more stifling.  
  
Scrunched up next to one of the walls was a homeless man sitting hunched over beside a trash can. Kuja would have gladly continued on but Megan grabbed his arm and gave him the puppy dog eyes again. The silver-tailed genome sighed and pulled out a few gil, dropping them with a plink into the cup lying limply in the man's hand. The poor fellow looked up at them thankfully - perhaps even with a little awe - and tipped his hat.  
  
"Thank you . . ." he managed to stumble out. "You are most kind,"  
  
Megan curtseyed and smiled before beginning to head off again. Kuja glanced quickly at the hermit one last time, managing to catch the man's eye.  
  
Purple! Kuja's mouth dropped open as the man lifted his head, allowing dark brown hair to spill out of the collar of his cloak. It was her! The woman from his dream! Kuja let out a gasp and began to reach towards the nightmare in shock. Unfortunately, Megan grabbed his arm and gave her friend a look that clearly questioned his sanity. The genome was forced to follow her, still glancing over his shoulder at the violet-eyed woman.  
  
She had turned back into the man . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kuja was dumb with awe as Megan dragged him down the alley. How . . . why was this happening? Who was she, this woman with the wine colored eyes? Why was she following him? How did she get into his dreams?  
  
/Perhaps I am seeing things . . ./  
  
The end of the alley came into sight, light spilling out from the district ahead of them. As the pair was about to step over the threshold separating them from the outside world, someone else came swiftly around the corner, head bowed and not noticing where he was going.  
  
Megan and Kuja had to put on the brakes immediately to avoid a head-on collision with the identity before them. The other did so as well, stumbling backwards with surprise.  
  
"Hey! Watch it!" Megan yelled, hands on her hips. "What're you trying to do?! Kill someone?!" she glanced up at Kuja for moral support only to find him staring straight forward, mouth open in horror. The brunette peeled her eyes off her petrified friend and looked at the one they had almost run into. He was a young man wearing a very large coat. His blonde locks were falling into his electric blue eyes. The boy wore an equal expression of shock and he and Kuja were staring at each other - scared stiff - eyes widening by the second. Both were speechless.  
  
"Oh no . . . Megan!" Kuja grabbed her arm so hard she cried out in pain. The silver-haired man turned and ran, hood flying off his ivory hair as he did so and Megan being dragged along behind him.  
  
"Feather! What are you doing?!" Megan screamed, positive something in her arm had cracked. They charged straight back down the street in the direction they'd come, feet thudding upon the unpaved alley road as they did so. The homeless man was gone.  
  
Megan peered over her shoulder at the blonde boy they had fled from.  
  
He was not following them . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kuja threw open the door to the inn, startling Amy to the point that she had to stifle a scream. Megan ripped her arm out of Kuja's grasp, glaring at him.  
  
"Feather! What the hell?!"  
  
Amy climbed around the desk, hand over her mouth. "Oh my gosh! What happened? Are you guys okay?"  
  
"I don't know," Megan snapped, giving Kuja death glares. "Ask HIM!"  
  
Kuja rubbed his face irritably and went running up the stairs in the direction of their room. Megan rolled her eyes towards Amy and proceeded to follow her companion, navigating towards the sound of his angry footsteps.  
  
Kuja was in the room, searching frantically through their suitcases for a different cloak. Anything that wasn't white.  
  
"Feather, what is going on?!" Megan queried exasperatedly, coming up next to the genome. Kuja just shook his head.  
  
"Not now, Megan. You wouldn't understand,"  
  
Megan huffed, clearly frustrated, and growled lightly. Suddenly, the door flew open causing Kuja to slam the suitcase shut and whip around, silver hair flying. But whatever he was expecting to see was not what he got because the genome relaxed immediately as Amy bounced into the room, jumping up and down with excitement about something. Megan raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Uh, Amy? Somethin' goin' on?" Amy let out a squeal of delight.  
  
"Megan! The queen's fiancé is coming up the stairs right - now! He wants to see HIM!" she pointed straight at Kuja who blanched and backed into the wall, pressing himself up against the window.  
  
"What?!"  
  
"I know! Can you believe it?! I'm so excited!"  
  
Megan clapped a hand over her mouth, trying to not to giggle. The soon-to- be king! How totally awesome! Amy squeaked and jumped further into the room as a strapping young blonde stepped in behind her, brushing his hair out of his eyes and looking around curiously. Megan blushed profusely. He was cute! She noticed Amy glancing strangely at Kuja.  
  
"Have we met?" she asked him. Kuja turned away, facing the wall and hunching over as if trying to hide himself from them. Megan was worried about the sorcerer. Had he lost his mind?  
  
The king was staring at Kuja's back, his face eerily calm.  
  
"Hey," he said quietly, taking a step towards the silver-tailed genome. Kuja just cringed further, fingers curling in his hair. The blonde was peering curiously at him, a small frown on his face. Amy danced in the background, throwing Megan excited looks. Suddenly, Kuja whipped around, lip trembling. Megan wasn't sure if she had imagined it or not but she could have sworn he had tears streaming down his face. Kuja brushed the liquid away vigorously and went charging straight by the others, throwing himself out the door and down the stairs. They heard him jump the last few steps and the door to the inn swing open and slam shut with a crash.  
  
Megan clapped a hand to her forehead in annoyance. "Oh man! Now we gotta go find him!" she stopped when she noticed the king crouched down on one knee next to the suitcases, holding a white cloak in his hands.  
  
Feather's cloak . . .  
  
"Was he wearing any coverings when he left just now?" the queen's fiancé interrogated, his voice remaining perfectly steady. Megan wagged her head.  
  
"If you mean like a jacket or something, then no,"  
  
The king cursed bitterly and stood up, letting the cloak drop to the floor.  
  
"Then I don't think you realize how much danger your friend is in right now . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Beatrix had seen Zidane enter the inn. She'd seen someone else exit it. At first she was sure her eyes had deceived her . . . But she knew what she had seen . . .  
  
"Oh, you are in SO much trouble," she hissed, carefully unsheathing Save the Queen.  
  
"SO much trouble . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kuja slowed to a walk in the middle of the square, finally coming to a halt near the center, his feet tracing over the carving of a sword in front of a rose scratched into the cobblestones of the Alexandrian street. He was exhausted from running and leaned over, trying to catch his breath. He had seen the people staring at him as he passed, slight suspicion in their eyes.  
  
Apparently, they had not forgotten . . .  
  
A small frown flitted across his pale lips. He felt weird . . . The genome raised a shaky hand to his head, wiping at the cold sweat accumulating there before releasing a shaky breath.  
  
So tired . . .  
  
Suddenly, his body shuddered as another wave of nausea passed through him, just like his trip in the air-cab. The silver-tailed genome dropped to his knees, ivory hair falling into his face. The ground beneath him felt like the deck of a storm-tossed ship.  
  
Out of nowhere, the cold metal of a blade pressed itself up against his throat, bearing sharply into the skin. Kuja's froze, glancing at the weapon out of the corner of his eye. He knew that sword anywhere . . .  
  
"Well, well, well," a female voice whispered lethally from above, pushing the blade against his neck a little harder. "Look who decided to show up in Alexandria . . ." she chuckled lightly, obviously pleased with her catch.  
  
"Better say your prayers, pretty boy . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: Yikes! A cliffhanger! Oh me! Oh my! But hey, I've united some characters! *Does a happy dance* Now I just need to bring in the rest of the crew and I'm all set! Then I can actually get to the plot! Yes! Boy that chapter was tiring to write. I sure hope it wasn't too long! Oh, and did anyone know that Elizabeth Taylor actually has violet eyes? Weird . . . So, review, review, review! I was very disappointed with the outcome of the last chapter. Not good . . .  
  



	10. Alexandria: Part 2 The Capture

A/N: Ah, chapter ten. A milestone. I want to thank all of my reviewers for helping me reach this achievement of ten very looooooooooong chapters. You all rock! Anyhow, I must attach a warning to this chapter. It is EXTREMELY confusing. Believe me. I was confused, and I wrote it ^_^ Just bear with me. It will all make sense eventually. So read on, and be warned, lol.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy. Is it really that hard to see? If I did then happy I would be. And I would fill with joy and glee. Yadda yadda yadda. I could go on forever. The rhyming dictionary has over three pages of words rhyming with "be", so BE glad I stopped there ;-)  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"In this world, there are many like me who have killed their emotions. Don't forget that."  
  
Shadow, Final Fantasy VI  
  
Kuja froze immediately, fingers clenching at his sides. His initial reaction was to retaliate. His first instinct: magic. As he thought desperately for a spell, a memory flooded back to him that caused the sorcerer to halt in his tracks.  
  
/Flash/  
  
And it was a good thing he'd put up that barrier at the last minute or he would have been toast. The stupid shield hadn't been as affective as he'd hoped . . .  
  
/Flash/  
  
/That's right . . ./ Kuja thought. /My magic doesn't seem to be working as well as it once did. Scratch THAT thought . . ./  
  
The sword had left his neck. The silver-haired genome knew his enemy was raising it; poised to attack. She knew he was defenseless. She sensed his weakness. It was all over for the Angel of Death . . .  
  
/Wait a second. I'm the first Angel of Death! I could kick her ass right now if I wanted to!/  
  
There was a swish and swoop as the sword cut through the air, screaming as it sliced through existence itself. Kuja, with lightning fast reflexes, tumbled to the side and swung his leg through the air, knocking Beatrix's feet out from under her. The general fell down hard, screaming "Guards!" as she did so.  
  
Immediately, Kuja was buried under a pile of Alexandrian soldiers, all heavily armed and preparing magic attacks of their own. The genome concentrated all his energy on a Thundaga, feeling the magic draining from his body as he did so. With an explosion of electricity, the female soldiers were thrown off of him, collapsing to the ground as small crackles of lightning fizzed around their bodies. One or two of the women was permanently out of the fight.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Sir?" Drakja glanced nervously at his master, who was seated upon a black throne, shrouded in darkening shadows.  
  
"What?!" the man snapped, not even glancing at his lackey.  
  
"Is something the matter?"  
  
There was a moment of silence before The Master tightened his fingers into a fist and let out a shuddering sigh.  
  
"He's fighting me . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kuja tried to raise himself shakily onto hit feet. The once proud sorcerer felt as if he'd just run a mile. With a cough he sank back to the ground, careful not to let his guard down too much. The soldiers were quickly getting over their electrocution and many were already retrieving their weapons and standing back up again, facing their opponent. Kuja shut his eyes wearily.  
  
/Please . . . Just leave me alone . . ./  
  
The soldiers charged, circling in around the fallen man. Kuja glared up at them intensely; severely pissed off. With a cry of anger, the genome leapt up into the air, managing to back-flip straight over those behind him and successfully knocking over the ones in front. He landed nearby, already in a fighting pose. If magic was not an option, then he would just have to resort to physical violence.  
  
Nearby, Beatrix watched with curiosity as her female army flung themselves at the man, desperately trying to drag him down. His movements were strange . . . She couldn't tell if he was just tired . . . or if he didn't want to hurt her soldiers and the spectators standing around the square, watching in horror . . . or possibly a combination of both . . . But Beatrix did know one thing:  
  
Kuja may have been determined, but he couldn't fight forever . . . And she had plenty more soldiers where THAT came from . . .  
  
Kuja ducked as a sword whizzed overhead; punched hard as he dodged a right hook. The soldiers were falling quickly yet more and more came. There was no end to them! It was like they were regenerating themselves!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Zidane ran as fast as he could towards the Alexandrian Square, Megan hot on his heels.  
  
"What's - going - on?!" Megan shouted in between breaths, trying desperately to keep up with the agile genome. Zidane puffed as they turned a corner, his mind trying to concentrate on finding his brother.  
  
"Your friend is in BIG trouble," he explained, a sinking feeling settling in his stomach as he thought about it.  
  
"But why?!"  
  
Zidane did not respond. He didn't have to. Megan gasped and clapped a hand over her mouth.  
  
At the end of the road, poor Feather was pitted against what seemed to be half of the entire Alexandrian military force.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Can you bring him down?" Drakja whispered, gazing forward as if seeing whatever his master saw for himself.  
  
"Can't you see I'm trying, you fool?!"  
  
The green-eyed man tilted his head inquiringly, brown locks falling into his eyes. "So he is more powerful than you have told me . . ."  
  
"Not as powerful as you think . . . You wait. I will win this,"  
  
"Hmm . . ."  
  
"He's determined. He will finish or die trying. If he keeps this up, it will be the latter,"  
  
Drakja jerked with surprise as his master leapt to his feet, rage written all over his features. "No! That idiot will KILL himself!"  
  
"So what?" Drakja snorted, hands on his hips. "Who cares about that old screw-up anyways?"  
  
The Master rounded on his servant, a haze of wrath twisting around his very presence.  
  
"Don't you understand?! I NEED him! If he dies, what have I got?! Nothing! No, I'll tell you what I'd have. A failed plan! And I will not accept failure!"  
  
"So what do you intend to do about it?" Drakja couldn't help but smirk a little at seeing his own boss thrown up against such an impossible situation and actually seeming frightened about it. The Master took a deep breath and sank calmly back into his chair, fingers drumming the arm-rests as he did so.  
  
"I'll tell you what I'm going to do . . . I'm going to do exactly what I'd been trying to do this whole time,"  
  
"But it wasn't working . . ."  
  
"I wasn't trying hard enough. There's always a way to do anything. You see, I am trying harder and even now it is beginning to work,"  
  
"Actually, I can't see. But I'll take your word for it,"  
  
"I've got him right in my clutches . . ." the Master chuckled, looking thoroughly pleased with himself. "And . . .  
  
NOW!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
/Flash/  
  
The body becomes a vessel . . . Which greets a new soul . . .  
  
You're soul was given to you, therefore, it can be taken away . . .  
  
/Flash/  
  
Kuja collapsed. It seemed to take everybody by surprise. The Alexandrian soldiers backed away, still brandishing their swords in his direction just in case. Kuja had been caught by Beatrix. Whether that was a good thing or not, he wasn't sure. She threw him to his knees, slapping a pair of heavy steel handcuffs over his delicate wrists. Kuja just closed his eyes wearily, unable to fight back.  
  
"You're under arrest . . ." the general hissed, tightening the shackles so that they dug painfully hard into Kuja's skin. The angry woman was about to put a sleep spell on her capture when he whimpered and leaned forward slightly, tugging at her heartstrings for a reason that she could not fathom.  
  
/What's the point of putting him to sleep?/ she thought, frowning. /He seems dead on his feet already . . . How strange . . . What could have happened to cause this terrible condition?/  
  
Kuja shuddered, his face pale. Beatrix's eyes flashed and she crouched down next to him, peering intently into his face.  
  
His lips were coated with blood . . .  
  
A thin line of red liquid dripped out of the corner of his mouth and rolled down his chin, falling with a small splash onto the unpaved road. Beatrix gently wiped some up with one finger, staring at the blood as if it were the wrong color. She rose slowly, glaring at the circle of soldiers around her as she did so.  
  
"Who . . .? Did this . . .?" she whispered quietly, displaying the blood- stained finger before them. The soldiers shifted uncomfortably, trying to appear less suspicious. The general's eye narrowed dangerously.  
  
"I want to know . . . who caused our prisoner to bleed . . ."  
  
A hand clamped down on her shoulder. Beatrix whipped around only to find herself face to face with Zidane, who was leering furiously.  
  
"Don't . . . touch him." Zidane commanded, lip twitching. Beatrix stepped back immediately, inclining her head.  
  
"Zidane, I'm so sorry," she apologized, wiping the blood off on her wrist guard. "One of these fools got a little too excited apparently. It will not happen again,"  
  
"No. It won't. Or I will file for police brutality,"  
  
Beatrix paled, eye widening. Police brutality offered the capital punishment of death in the Alexandrian courts. She wondered briefly why Zidane was so upset. Did he realize who the knave was kneeling down at her feet?!  
  
Kuja licked his stained lips angrily, rising carefully to his feet. What the hell had just happened? He looked up at Zidane. Then at Megan who was cowering behind him. A feeling of guilt sank into his heart and he looked away quickly, bowing his head in shame.  
  
"Why are they doing this?!" Megan cried, peering over Zidane's shoulder. "He never did anything wrong!" Zidane brushed the brunette away, still glaring at Beatrix.  
  
"Take off the handcuffs," he commanded, pointing a finger at Kuja's inert form. Beatrix blinked at him as if the young boy had lost his mind.  
  
"Zidane, I don't think you realize who this is. I mean, I know it's been awhile and all, but - "  
  
"Take them off."  
  
Beatrix looked ready to argue but finally sighed and nodded her head to a nearby soldier. The nervous militant crept forward, bracing herself as if expecting Kuja to blow her up or something. Not that she didn't have good reason for thinking so.  
  
Kuja didn't move. The soldier carefully undid the shackles and darted away. The silver-haired man just let his arms drop to his sides.  
  
Beatrix's grip on her sword tightened apprehensively as she waited for the genome to strike. Zidane stepped forward, standing directly in front of the sorcerer. There was a moment of silence.  
  
"Where have you been?" he asked finally, folding his arms over his chest. Kuja raised his eyes, frowning. He said nothing.  
  
"I thought you were dead," Zidane continued, voice remaining stern. Megan's face clouded over with confusion. How did the future king of Alexandria know Feather?  
  
"Why did you vanish like that? Why didn't you come back to Alexandria with me?"  
  
All that could be heard was the sound of the wind. The Alexandrian soldiers and Beatrix all stood by, watching. Many of the citizens in the street (at least those with common sense) went walking briskly off, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire as it was apparent that two high- ranking people were very, very angry. Megan was at a loss for words. Finally, Kuja spoke, his voice filled with suppressed sadness.  
  
"Because I did not want to . . ."  
  
"Zidane!" all heads jerked in the direction of the voice. Queen Garnet was standing at the end of a nearby road, looking frightened over all of the commotion.  
  
"Dagger . . ." Zidane turned towards his fiancé as she came running into the square. The youth glanced apologetically back at Kuja, biting his lip like he always did. The other genome simply looked away.  
  
"Zidane! What's going on?! Why are all these - "  
  
She stopped. Her eyes fell on Kuja. The queen stared at him for what seemed like forever, her eyes dancing with conflicting emotions, before letting out a strangled gasp and falling to her knees, covering her mouth with one hand in horror. Beatrix made a movement to go to the queen, however Zidane was already at her side, crouched down next to his girl, hands on her shoulders.  
  
"Dagger, Dagger please. Don't say anything yet,"  
  
Garnet let out a choked sob, face in her hands. "Oh god! It's a nightmare! What have I done to deserve this?!"  
  
Megan's eyes went from Garnet to Kuja, Garnet to Kuja. Back and forth. She had absolutely no idea what was going on. Zidane sighed.  
  
"Beatrix, can you take him up to the castle," he nodded his head towards Kuja. "I've got to talk to Dagger privately,"  
  
Beatrix nodded understandingly. "Of course," she gave Kuja a swift glare. The genome simply stared at the road.  
  
"Oh, and also," Zidane added, smoothing his thumb over Garnet's tear-soaked cheek. "I won't file for police brutality. If you look closely, his lip's not cut,"  
  
The Alexandrian soldiers all glanced at each other in surprise, then turned back to their general as the one-eyed woman furrowed her brow and stared at Kuja's face. It was true . . . There was nothing there that could possibly explain any blood . . .  
  
Zidane turned back to his fiancé and Beatrix took that as a sign that she could go. She grasped Kuja by the arm and began to drag him away, yanking him hard. The soldiers all scattered back into the city, heading towards their usual assignments. Megan took a step forward to follow her friend, however, Zidane caught her arm and shook his head, frowning.  
  
"No, I think you'd better stay here with me," he muttered, his eyes watching the retreating backs of the others.  
  
Garnet just continued to sob.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Did it work?" Drakja asked, still trying to imagine the scene in his mind. The Master nodded, smirking.  
  
"You bet it did. Now really, did you ever once doubt me?"  
  
"Of course not,"  
  
"Good. I'm just worried that it was a bit too much. You understand how it works, yes?"  
  
Drakja fingered the large red weapon tacked into his belt, lips twisting into a grin. "What do you think I use THIS for?"  
  
"Have you ever actually handled it?" The Master queried, cocking his head to the side.  
  
"Many times,"  
  
"No, you idiot. I mean the OTHER setting,"  
  
"Ah. Well, only on an occasional monster," Drakja admitted, his fingers twisting over the handle greedily. "But I would love to test it out on something . . . more sentient perhaps?"  
  
"Hmm. I would like to know your reasoning,"  
  
Drakja grinned, pulling the weapon out of its sheathe. "The definition of sentient is having sense or perception of consciousness. In other words, a dragon is only aware of life. It is living. It has always been living. They do not perceive death as inevitable. But a human, a sentient being, understands death. They know that their time will come eventually," the green-eyed man raised the weapon out in front of him, his eyes looking down its front as if aiming at a phantom target before him. "And there would be nothing more entertaining than watching a creature afflicted by this weapon and knowing that IT knows what is to happen next,"  
  
"But if you have never used it," The Master interrupted, leaning forward with interest. "Then how do you know that a sentient being will perceive what is to happen next? That is no normal weapon. Death is not the result of its use,"  
  
Drakja laughed, snapping the weapon and spinning it jauntily. "Believe me. They would know . . ."  
  
"And they WILL know . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Later that night, Megan sat alone in her room back at the inn. Zidane had had a private talk with the queen and then told Megan to go back to wherever she had come from. Megan had done so, but only because she was too confused to do anything else. Amy hadn't interrogated her. She had sensed immediately that her friend wanted to be left alone.  
  
Eventually, the door creaked open and Zidane stepped inside, looking grave.  
  
"Megan?" he queried, shutting the door slowly. "That's your name, right?" Megan just nodded, wringing her fingers. Zidane continued, sitting down quietly on the bed next to her. "I'm really sorry about what happened,"  
  
"Is he okay?" the young woman asked, glancing up at the soon-to-be king. Zidane nodded, mimicking her funeral-like attitude.  
  
"Yeah. He was just kind of spooked I guess,"  
  
"Well, I would be too if the great General Beatrix had snuck up behind me and sent half her squad out to kill me,"  
  
The blonde genome half-smiled, folding his arms over his chest. "Do I detect a note of sarcasm in that last comment?"  
  
"You are very perceptive . . ."  
  
Zidane smirked, deciding he liked the strange girl that had come to town.  
  
"So where is he?" Megan asked, eyes flat with exhaustion. The other sighed heavily, raising his eyes to the ceiling.  
  
"He's still at the castle. I didn't want him outside,"  
  
Megan made a face. "Who died and made YOU boss?"  
  
Zidane's lip twitched and he nearly laughed. "Well, he's actually older than I am,"  
  
"What's THAT supposed to mean?"  
  
Zidane ran his fingers through his hair, trying to think of a good way to break the news to her.  
  
"Megan," he began, looking her squarely in the eyes.  
  
"That man is my brother . . ."  
  
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A/N: Damn, that was weird. I have to be honest, Drakja was kind of scaring me there. What with the whole, watching a sentient being die and stuff. Icky. But he IS a villain after all. And villains must be, well, villainous. And I just realized something totally weird. Kuja only has one line spoken out loud in this entire chapter! How crazy is that?! Anyhow, sorry for the mess. Review, review, review! I love them!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
!!!!!!!! Black Mage Dad !!!!!!!!  
  
P.S. Sorry about the delay, but I had a problem with the formatting. No matter what I did, the stupid thing always turned my paragraphs into one big clump! Finally, I just said "Screw this" and hit "clear all formatting." Then I had to redo every single line . . . *sigh* The things I put up with! 


	11. A Truth Comes Out

A/N: Aw . . . only five reviews for the last chapter? What was wrong with it?! Blah . . . Oh well, I'll live *gets strange thoughts. Cheesy grin* Anyhow, I'm afraid I have to add another warning to this chapter! No!!!!!! But this one's REALLY important. An issue is going to come up in this chapter that may be a little . . . touchy for some. Perhaps even taboo. I don't want to offend anybody with it. I just wanna look out for ya guys ^_^ And I'm surprised that the idea in this chapter hasn't been used before. At least, I don't think it has. Oh well. Read on and enjoy! More reviews *sob*  
  
P.S. This chapter's REALLY short but it packs a LOT of material.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy . . . (Square: Thank God . . .) Lol.  
  
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"When they took the fourth amendment, I was silent because I don't deal drugs. When they took the sixth amendment, I kept quiet because I know I'm innocent. When they took the second amendment, I said nothing because I don't own a gun. Now they've come for the first amendment, and I can't say anything at all."  
  
- Tim Freeman  
  
Queen Garnet Til Alexandros the XVII sat on the wall outside of Alexandria Castle, gazing out across the moat and wringing her fingers with nerves. Only one thought remained in her head:  
  
/I can't be in the castle with that man . . . I can't be in the castle with that man . . ./  
  
Nobody else knew yet. She couldn't tell them. She didn't WANT to tell them. All their happy endings . . . gone. A simple sighting and their lives were ruined . . .  
  
"Someone up there must REALLY hate me," Garnet muttered, raising her eyes to the star-streaked sky. She spotted a boat crossing the moat and her spirits rose ever so slightly.  
  
"Zidane . . ."  
  
The blonde-tailed genome leapt off the gondola, nodding politely to the Alexandrian soldier and trotting up the small road to his fiancé. He looked concerned when he saw her.  
  
"Hey, Dagger . . . You all right?"  
  
Garnet tried to smile her most dazzling smile but it fell rather flat. "Yeah, I'm just recovering a little, I guess,"  
  
"Yeah, me too,"  
  
They both hesitated. Garnet tapped the wall with the back of her boot. Finally, she voiced the question that had been killing her for hours.  
  
"Zidane? Why did you lie to me?"  
  
The genome cocked his head to the side looking rather surprised and perhaps a little hurt. "What do you mean? I never lied to you,"  
  
"Yes - yes you did," the queen argued. "You told me that . . . that THING . . ." she pointed behind her in the direction of the castle. "Was dead. How could you lie to me about something like that?"  
  
Zidane exhaled slowly, running his fingers through his hair. Quietly, he slid up onto the wall next to her majesty, chewing his finger thoughtfully.  
  
"Dagger, honestly, I had no idea he was alive,"  
  
Garnet laughed coldly, shaking her head. "I don't believe this . . . You're lying to me AGAIN!"  
  
"No, really! I'm not!" Zidane defended, wishing there was some evidence out there to prove it. "I was just as surprised as YOU were,"  
  
Garnet pursed her lips, frowning. "Zidane, I want to know EXACTLY what happened in the Iifa Tree and the three years it took for you to return to me. And I want to know NOW," she turned her eyes onto the young boy, trying to read his mind. His expression was impossible to scan. He seemed to be thinking hard.  
  
"Dagger, I really told you everything I knew. I never lied to you,"  
  
"Fine. Then tell me everything you know now,"  
  
Zidane nodded, shifting upon the cold rocks. "All right," he agreed. "I can go with that . . ."  
  
He paused, closing his eyes as he thought back to those dreadful times.  
  
"Well," the nineteen-year-old began, folding his hands in his lap. "As you know, I returned to Kuja in the Iifa Tree after the destruction of Memoria,"  
  
Garnet nodded, recalling how aggrieved she'd been at his departure.  
  
/Flash/  
  
Promise me you'll come back . . .  
  
/Flash/  
  
Zidane continued, ignoring the cold breeze that seemed to be settling over the peaceful city. "Kuja was in nasty shape. Too injured to move. I kept his morale up by singing our song. It seemed to help him a lot. And I needed all the help from that guy I could get. Our strategy was for him to drain magic from me, and him - in turn - to destroy the roots with it. It was difficult, I won't lie about that. It took us two weeks just to manage; and that was with no food and very little water. Also, the transfer of magic left me extremely weak, and his own use of magic left his just as sick. It was getting harder and harder for him to save enough magic to drain more from me. And I, of course, was steadily running out,"  
  
/Flash/  
  
"Come on, Zidane. Just a little more,"  
  
"Oh god, Kuja. I can't do this,"  
  
"Don't give up! We're almost there!"  
  
/Flash/  
  
Garnet scowled, face darkening. "You sang our song? In front of HIM?! How could you?!"  
  
Zidane rolled his eyes, annoyed at the queen's ignorance. "Remember how I told you I survived by singing our song? Well, that's the truth. Not only did it give him strength, but it fueled me on as well. Besides, he already knew the words," Zidane clapped a hand over his mouth hurriedly, realizing he'd said too much.  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"Nothing,"  
  
"Hmm . . ." Garnet looked suspicious. Zidane had a feeling she was going to bring the subject up again later. Trying to evade the topic further, Zidane continued with his exposition.  
  
"Anyhow, once we made it out of the Iifa Tree we realized it was still attempting to destroy the planet. The two of us traveled to Conde Petie and used the last of our money on ethers and potions. Then we returned to the tree and slowly battled it over the next month. We defeated it,"  
  
Garnet nodded, understanding dawning in her eyes. "Yeah, no one was ever able to explain why the tree stopped so suddenly. I'm glad I know now,"  
  
Zidane made a face, resting his head in his hand. "Well, the destruction of the tree left us in an even nastier pickle,"  
  
"What?"  
  
"It released all of the Mist Monsters. This meant that Kuja and I had to defeat all of THEM too. That took us many months because we had to travel all over the continent to destroy them before they managed to migrate to more heavily populated bodies of land. However, during that time, I became aware of some things . . ." Zidane branched off, voice fading. Garnet looked up sharply, face stern.  
  
"What things?" she queried, frowning considerably.  
  
/Flash/  
  
Oh my god . . . I . . . I don't believe this . . .  
  
/Flash/  
  
Zidane suddenly didn't want to talk about those months anymore. "Dagger, honey, I can't continue this conversation . . . I'm sorry . . ."  
  
Garnet would have nothing of it. "Zidane, you PROMISED me," she nearly shouted, turning towards him angrily. "I want to know what happened and I think I have a right now that I've been slammed so cruelly back into reality by YOUR god damn brother,"  
  
Zidane's shoulders slumped. He knew she would never stop pressing it out of him. His fiancé was quite the stubborn mule. The genome tried to think of a way to tell her what he'd seen.  
  
"Okay," he said, choosing his words carefully. "Do you remember when Kuja was in the Alexandrian courts?"  
  
Garnet wrinkled her brow, thinking hard. "Not really, to be honest. It was right after Father's death and the castle was in a bit of disarray. Those times are pretty much a blur of color to me,"  
  
Zidane managed to bite off part of his nail.  
  
/Woops . . ./  
  
"Hmm . . . Well, do you remember . . ." Zidane stopped, frowning. Had she even been there? Kuja had explained everything to him later. But he'd left out some of the details. "Do you remember the night Dr. Tot left Alexandria?"  
  
Garnet sighed, watching the ripples on the water, the moon forming a fuzzy white path of light across its great surface. "How could I forget? He was my teacher; my only friend. I thought I'd never see him again,"  
  
"Do you remember WHY he left?"  
  
"No, I sat on the stairs nearby. It was after my bed-time and I wasn't supposed to be up that late. But I heard a lot of shouting. Some of it was from Tot. Some was from Mother. Some from Beatrix. And . . ." she stopped, her eyes widening to the size of saucers. "Kuja! I forgot that Kuja was the strange white-haired man that had been prowling around the castle all that time! He seemed so different then. But not in a good way,"  
  
"Well," Zidane muttered. "Tot left for a lot of reasons. You know most of them already. Because he disagreed with Brahne's new attitude, because he didn't like the production of black mages, because he was angry about the unnecessary war. But there's another reason that not too many people know about. One that you must never utter to anyone,"  
  
"What?"  
  
Zidane let out a deep, painful breath, gazing up sadly at the blackened sky.  
  
"Kuja was addicted to heroin," he said slowly, eyes filling with tears.  
  
"Dangerously addicted . . ."  
  
/Flash/  
  
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Zidane growled angrily as he twirled the stick between his fingers, desperately trying to spark a fire for the night.  
  
"Light, god damn it!" the agitated genome cried, jamming the wood into the dirt. It broke in half and he let out a scream of frustration. "Damn it, damn it, DAMN IT! Kuja! Get the hell over here and light this god damn fire!"  
  
Kuja peered out from around the log he'd been sitting against, a small smile playing across his features.  
  
"Fire problems again?" he queried mockingly, tilting his head to the side. "My, my . . . and you call yourself the supreme angel of death . . .?"  
  
"Just shut up and light the god damn fire!"  
  
"Fine. But only if you cut it with the 'god damn's,'"  
  
"And why should I, god damn it?"  
  
Kuja turned away haughtily, folding his arms over his chest. "Fine then. Be that way. No fire for you,"  
  
Zidane leapt angrily to his feet, brandishing both halves of the stick in his hands as if he were holding his twin daggers.  
  
"Kuja!" he whined. "I'm not kidding! We need that fire to keep the Mist Monsters away!" the blonde threw down the sticks and ran over to the log, peering around the side. "Kuja . . ." he stopped as his brother slid something behind his back, looking up at Zidane in surprise.  
  
"What?!" the silver-haired man snapped, looking annoyed. Zidane's eyes narrowed.  
  
"Kuja, what did you just hide?"  
  
"Nothing! Now move it. I gotta go light the stupid fire,"  
  
Zidane held his ground, arms crossed. "Kuja, what did you just hide?"  
  
"Nothing!"  
  
"Hand - it - over,"  
  
Kuja leapt up angrily, teeth bared. Zidane's lip curled as well. Then he saw it.  
  
"Oh my god . . . I . . . I don't believe this . . ."  
  
He dropped down onto one knee, taking the object delicately into his hands, eyes swirling with disbelief. "Kuja . . . how - how COULD you?!"  
  
Kuja collapsed down heavily into the dirt, staring blankly at it as well. He just gazed, as if seeing the thing itself for the first time. Zidane numbly unscrewed the top, tipping out whatever was left. It was nearly empty. He slowly raised his eyes, boring into his brother's turned head. Their was rage chiseled into every inch of his face. Zidane shoved the syringe furiously into the silver-haired man's arms, breathing heavily with conniption.  
  
"You . . . you were using . . . heroin?!"  
  
Kuja didn't answer. He just continued to look away. Zidane stood up angrily, fingers balling into fists at his sides.  
  
"I . . . I don't know how I can ever forgive you for this. I . . . I just . . . GOD DAMN IT!" he yanked his dirty blonde hair, shaking his head in frustration. "How - do - you - LIVE with yourself?!" he let out a stifled cry of rage and turned away, breathing hard. Behind him, Kuja stood up slowly, still holding the syringe in one hand. He stared at Zidane for a moment who - sensing his brother's eyes upon him - turned around.  
  
"I'm sorry . . ." Kuja whispered.  
  
"Sorry won't cut it, Kuja," Zidane snapped, seething. "Any respect I had for you before just went spiraling out into the cold damn hell of the universe,"  
  
"I can stop anytime! Really!"  
  
"So stop now,"  
  
Kuja's silence said everything. Zidane just let out a sarcastic "ha" muttering "it figures" under his breath and turning on his heel. After only one step, he heard a small clatter behind him. Looking over his shoulder, he saw that the syringe had slipped out of Kuja's grasp, falling to the barren ground with a faint plink. Zidane swiveled completely around, glancing at it. Then up at Kuja. The sorcerer just shrugged. His arm was turned purposely towards his brother, the black and blue blotches in the crook of his elbow clearly visible. They both reached a silent mutual agreement.  
  
Carefully, Zidane brought his foot down upon the thing, a small crack ringing through the air as it shattered into a million pieces.  
  
And then Kuja told him everything . . .  
  
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/Flash/  
  
Garnet gasped, hand over her mouth. "Kuja was on heroin?!"  
  
Zidane nodded gravely, sighing sadly. "You bet. Had been for years. Everyone in the courts knew it. I guess it would have been kinda obvious,"  
  
"But where did he get the new stuff from?"  
  
Zidane smirked, no amusement in his eyes. "Where do you think? Conde Petie, of course. That area is a land mine. The thought never even crossed my mind,"  
  
Garnet seemed to be having a hard time taking all this in. "So . . . so Tot knew? And Beatrix? And Mother?"  
  
"Yep, yep, and yep,"  
  
"I - I had no clue,"  
  
"Neither did I," Zidane grumbled. "That was part of the reason for the hatred that formed between him and Beatrix. I think they may have actually liked each other at one point,"  
  
"Ugh! Kuja's just horrible!"  
  
Zidane lowered his eyes. He wasn't going to argue with her. Nothing he could possibly say would change her mind.  
  
She could never understand . . .  
  
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Kuja sat in a guest room on the top floor of Alexandria Castle, frowning. They didn't have to tell him he was imprisoned. He knew. Beatrix was probably standing outside the door with a key, grinning. He exhaled heavily and collapsed back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.  
  
"I hate this place . . ." he mumbled. "You see, Zidane?! This is why I didn't want to come back with you,"  
  
As if in answer to his question, the sound of a lock clicking alerted the silver-tailed genome's attention. He sat up quickly, ready to yell. But all he saw was a flash of honey-colored hair and a pair of shiny glasses before Megan flung herself onto him, looking near tears.  
  
"Oh, Feather! I was so worried!" she cried, smothering him with joy.  
  
Kuja chuckled to himself as he managed to sit up, still holding Megan in his arms. He rocked her back and forth, trying to keep her from crying. She sniffled and after a moment pulled back, hands on his shoulders. She grinned.  
  
"I'm so glad you're okay!"  
  
"I'm fine, Megan! Honestly!" Kuja laughed, realizing how much he'd missed her pretty face. She still looked uneasy.  
  
"Why did they do that to you?" the young woman asked, eyes shining inquisitively. Kuja stared at her. Her face. She'd been so happy to see him. She may have even loved him. Would he ever know?  
  
Quietly, he took her into his arms once more, squeezing her into his embrace. She fell in contentedly as he rubbed her back gently.  
  
"It was just a mistake, Megan . . ." he whispered, feeling their bond of trust breaking as he did so.  
  
"Just a mistake . . ."  
  
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A/N: Was that okay?! Please say it was okay!! I bet it's pretty easy to see where some problems are going to evolve in the future. Hmm . . . Kuja's a little liar, eh? Well, I assure you Kuja's "problem" won't affect the plot of this story; only make it a little stronger at times. I hope I didn't offend anyone *has a panic attack with nerves* So read and review! Review more! I feel neglected . . .  
  
P.S. Whoo, I got that up FAST! Weird. Though I SHOULDN'T have what with the lack of reviews *cough*!  
  
()()()()() Black Mage Dad ()()()()() 


	12. A Cold Reunion of Sorts

A/N: Hi. It's me again. Sorry about the last chapter. I know that was odd of me to do but "it" won't even be mentioned again for awhile. You can pretty much act as if it was never there. And I think I sorta got flamed for the first time. It's weird, 'cause I told myself I'd be upset the first time it happened but . . . I'm not! Weird . . . The person's name was, like, Ominix or something and they told me I ruined Kuja! *Laughs* and then they told me I should've made him an alcoholic! *Dies of laughter* Can you imagine?! Kuja as an alcoholic! Oh my god, that's for a comedy! Not THIS story! I mean, think about that. Kuja's the graceful type! Not the falling-down-drunk type! I tried to pick something that would stick to his personality. I can't picture him snorting or smoking so I . . . chose the alternative . . . *Snorts* Drunk-Kuja *Sniggers* BWAHAHAHAHA!!!!!  
  
Disclaimer: ysatnaF laniF nwo t'nod I. Uh . . . No comment . . .  
  
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Garnet stared across the long dining table, eyes taking in each of the passive faces before her. Friends, all of them. Everyone was present. Vivi, Freya, Quina, Amarant, Eiko, Steiner, Fratley, Lani, Beatrix, Regent Cid, Lady Hilda. They all seemed strangely wary.  
  
"If you'll pardon our nerves, your majesty," Freya mumbled, eyes peering out from beneath her large dragoon knight hat. "But the last time we were called into a serious meeting like this, it was to discover that our souls were about to be sucked up and our planet eaten whole. So if you'll be understanding, we would really wish you to proceed,"  
  
Garnet cleared her throat, nodding. "Of course . . ." she raised an eyebrow at Zidane, who was seated next to her. He sighed and stood up, facing the others as he began to address them.  
  
"We've all known each other for a long time," he began, trying not to sound like he was pleading. He noticed Steiner shooting him suspicious looks and decided to cut the crap. "All right, screw that. I'm going to say this now and only now. My brother is alive and well - yeah, that's right, he's my brother and he ain't dead - and you're all going to be nice to him and NOT try to murder him. He's got a girl with him and if I discover that one hair on either of their heads is hurt, you'll be forced to deal personally with ME. Is that clear?" he glanced around at all the stunned faces at the table, each too shocked to speak. He smiled kindly. "Anyhow, how've we all been?"  
  
The outrage began immediately. Steiner was instantly on his feet, sword in hand, shouting out death threats to Kuja as if he were already in the room. Quina was stumbling out of his chair, tongue flapping as he looked for an escape route out of the castle. Lani was standing, bearing her axe and shouting "Let me at 'em!" as Amarant rolled his eyes and remained silent and seated next to her. Freya was probably one of the wildest, clutching her spear and looking around fiercely, tail standing on end. Zidane made a face and nodded to Beatrix who sighed, ready for plan B.  
  
"ALL RIGHT!" she screamed, leaping up and knocking over her chair with Save the Queen pointed straight out and ready for stabbing. "YOU'D ALL BETTER SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP RIGHT NOW OR, I'M NOT KIDDING, I WILL USE THIS THING MOST LETHALLY! NOW SHUT YOUR TRAPS AND LISTEN - TO - ZIDANE!!!"  
  
There was immediate silence. Beatrix's eye narrowed. Lani slumped down into her chair, glaring at the general as Quina obediently spilled back into his seat, looking rather frightened. Fratley was forced to stand up and place an arm around Freya's shoulders, lowering her back down cautiously. The dragoon knight remained stiff, fingers wrapped tightly around her spear, nose quivering. Steiner's mouth was immediately open, ready to object. Beatrix's gaze smashed onto him and his jaw snapped shut like a mousetrap. He sat down hurriedly.  
  
"All right," Beatrix affirmed, nodding. She sheathed her sword and threw a last one-eyed glare around the table before sitting down herself. Zidane smiled dryly.  
  
"Thank you, Beatrix," he cleared his throat, ready to continue. "So as I was saying, Kuja is in this castle. And not completely of his own volition. You can think whatever you want about him but if you act on it you're going to be REALLY sorry,"  
  
Nobody spoke. Vivi straightened his hat nervously.  
  
"But Zidane!" Freya pleaded. "How can you possibly let him roam around free in front of us?! After everything he did!" Zidane frowned, glancing at Garnet. She just shrugged as if to say "You got yourself into this. You deal with them."  
  
Zidane wished he could explain. "Guys, Kuja is a completely different person than he once was. He doesn't want to hurt anybody. If you'd just cut him some slack - "  
  
"Oh, I'll cut somethin' all right," Steiner muttered, growling. Beatrix silenced him with a look. Zidane could see that this wasn't going well. Not that he'd expected it too . . .  
  
"Okay," he said, glancing around the table once more. "You're all free to go. But heed my warning: Don't you dare touch my god damn brother," cheesy grin. "Thanks,"  
  
He turned and walked away; all too aware of the frowns focused on his back.  
  
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Kuja awoke quite suddenly to find Megan strewn out across the bed next to him, still quite asleep. He blinked with surprise and raised an eyebrow.  
  
/Uh . . . Why don't I remember her winding up there . . . next to me . . .? Whoa . . . I hope we didn't . . ./ he smacked himself on the forehead, glaring intensely.  
  
"Don't be such a perv!" he scolded quietly, trying not to wake the young woman next to him. He noticed her glasses were still on and he gently plucked them off and stared at them. The warlock held the frames up in front of his eyes, looking straight through the lenses. It hurt. All the genomes had been created with beyond perfect vision. He would never need glasses.  
  
Yawning, Kuja set the spectacles down on a nearby dresser and climbed carefully out of bed, trying not to hit Megan on the way out. She mumbled something about pie but otherwise did not stir. Kuja saw that he was still dressed and his clothes were all wrinkled from sleeping in them.  
  
/Oh fiddlesticks!/  
  
He glanced at the door. Maybe it was still locked. He grabbed the handle and turned. Okay, maybe not. The sorcerer looked out into the empty hall, hair falling annoyingly into his face.  
  
/Why am I afraid to go out there?/ he wondered briefly. A furious shout echoed from below, rattling the floor slightly. /Oh yeah. 'Cause this entire castle's out to kill me./  
  
What to do, what to do. Kuja glanced back at Megan. She yawned and rolled over, facing away from him.  
  
/Damn, that girl sleeps a lot . . ./  
  
The sound of footsteps caused the genome to retreat hurriedly back behind the door. Someone was charging down the hall grumbling. All he caught was:  
  
"Stupid . . . Can't believe . . . Kill him . . . Better not mess with me . . ."  
  
/Where have I heard that voice?/  
  
Kuja peered around the doorframe. A rather exotic looking woman with a jaunty hat and a distressingly large axe was stomping furiously, still muttering curses to herself.  
  
/Hmm . . ./ thought Kuja silently to himself. /I remember her. The bandit Queen Brahne hired to kidnap Garnet. What was her name again . . .? Oh yeah. Lani. Lani the Beautiful Bandit some called her . . ./  
  
Just when Kuja thought it was safe, Lani lurched to a halt at the end of the hall. She whipped around, staring at the open door. Their eyes met and he saw that gleam in them. The predator finding the prey kind of gleam. Kuja backed down immediately, lowering his head. He didn't feel like getting into anymore fights. That last Thundaga had pretty much destroyed his magic.  
  
Lani frowned. Kuja chewed his lip, tail swishing behind him.  
  
"Aren't you supposed to be dead?" Lani snapped, taking a step forward. The silver-haired genome shrugged.  
  
"Dunno," he said simply. The female warrior wasn't through with him yet.  
  
"Maybe you'd be better off dead,"  
  
/Maybe you'd be better off shutting up . . ./ Kuja thought blandly. Instead, he said:  
  
"I apologize if I've intruded on your life," Lani's lip twitched.  
  
"Apology accepted and forgotten,"  
  
They stared daggers at each other. Heavy footsteps came down the corridor and they spotted Amarant trudging towards them, head down as usual. He spotted Lani and rolled his eyes.  
  
"Can't leave anybody alone, can you?" he growled, grabbing her by the arm and dragging her away.  
  
"Hey! Let go of me!" the bandit squealed, punching Amarant in the arm. It did nothing to faze the muscle-bound man. "Stop!"  
  
Kuja watched Amarant yank her out of sight and breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
/Thank god . . . But I still have to deal with the others . . ./  
  
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It was a beautiful day outside. The city was still celebrating and most of the castle (besides the guards, of course) were out in Alexandria, enjoying the sunshine and festivities. Megan really wanted to go exploring. Kuja told her she could. Then Megan felt guilty because Zidane had told him to stay in the castle that day. Then Kuja gave her a thousand gil and she "reluctantly" agreed to leave.  
  
Now Zidane was entering the same room the meeting had been in previously. Kuja sat at the table, resting his chin in his hands. He looked bored.  
  
"To what do I owe this fabulous visit?" Kuja queried dryly, raising his eyes slightly. Zidane smirked, taking a seat across from him.  
  
"Still the same old jerk, I see,"  
  
"Still the same old smart-ass, I see,"  
  
"Touché," Zidane grinned. Kuja just frowned. His brother sighed and decided the silver-haired man wasn't in the mood for jokes.  
  
"All right," Zidane began, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms across his chest. "Where have you been?"  
  
Kuja scowled. "What's it to you? I've been here, there, and everywhere,"  
  
"No, seriously. Where did you vanish to?" Zidane seemed genuinely curious.  
  
Kuja scratched his head thoughtfully, glancing at the door on his left. "I guess I didn't really go anywhere," he explained, shrugging. "I left you near the Iifa Tree and then went to a town only a few miles away,"  
  
"But why?"  
  
"To escape THIS place," Kuja gestured towards the interior of the castle. "You wanted to bring me back here. Where I would have been persecuted. Perhaps put on death-row. I couldn't allow that to happen. So I left,"  
  
"Where did you go?"  
  
"I told you," Kuja rolled his eyes exasperatedly. "I went to a town a few miles away from the Iifa Tree,"  
  
Now Zidane just looked confused. "Uh, Kuja. How did you manage to get there by yourself?"  
  
"What do you mean, how did I manage to get there by myself?" Kuja snapped, glaring. Zidane shifted uncomfortably in his seat.  
  
"I mean that you were injured. Remember? You had a hard time getting ANYWHERE. I had to practically carry you around the continent. How did you manage the trip alone?"  
  
Kuja's eyes went rather out of focus as he thought about it. "I guess I sort of dragged myself there. I just wanted to find a place to drop dead, probably. I figured the people would recognize me but they didn't. Megan was the first to find me. I think I kinda freaked her out. See, she's afraid of blood and I sorta opened all my wounds again on the way over,"  
  
Zidane raised an eyebrow. "She afraid of BLOOD?"  
  
"Yup,"  
  
"Okay . . . That's just weird . . ."  
  
"Yeah, well, she fainted when she saw me. Her mother and grandmother had to save me. I think my lungs were pretty screwed up from the beating in the Iifa Tree and I guess I sort of killed them trying to get to the town,"  
  
"You always were stupid," Zidane teased, smiling. Kuja wanted to make a snappy comment but didn't. Because at that moment he saw something that caused him to nearly jump out of his seat.  
  
Standing in the doorway behind Zidane, covered in shadow, was a woman with long brown hair and shocking violet eyes.  
  
Kuja stood up immediately, staring over Zidane's head at her. The woman blinked sadly and clutched a fist near her chest. Zidane tugged on Kuja's sleeve, frowning and looking over his shoulder. Then he turned back to his brother, looking more confused than ever.  
  
"Geez, man! What're you doing?!"  
  
Kuja glanced down at his brother in aggravation, then up at the woman. She was gone. The warlock slumped down into his seat, still staring at the spot where she'd been standing. Zidane looked concerned about Kuja's sanity.  
  
"Uh . . . What was that?"  
  
Kuja tapped his lip thoughtfully. "Zidane . . . Do you know what The Metsubo is?"  
  
Zidane seemed quite taken aback by the sudden question. "The . . . The Metsubo?"  
  
"Uh huh,"  
  
"Gee. I dunno. Doesn't it mean something in Ancient Terran?"  
  
Kuja looked up sharply, a light-bulb going on over his head. "Zidane! I think you're right! In modern Terran it's an out-of-fashion word - hardly ever used - to mean a downfall or ruin. But in the Pre-Snow times on Terra it meant something else . . . But what?"  
  
Zidane drummed his fingers on the table, staring hard at his brother. "Why does it matter?"  
  
Kuja suddenly remembered that Zidane hadn't seen the violet-eyed woman.  
  
"Hmm . . . No reason . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Megan grinned as she snapped on the new necklace she'd bought: stunning silver chain with a crystal shaped like a pony on the end. A masterpiece! The young girl couldn't help but smile. Mrs. Yorokobi had always taught her to not strive for material happiness but still . . . Feather had given her so much money! Why NOT take advantage?!  
  
"Hey, pretty lady,"  
  
Megan's head snapped up at the sound of the voice and she spotted a man leaning back against one of the nearby shop stands. He grinned and waved. Megan just stared. Who the hell WAS this jerk-off?  
  
"Can I help you?" Megan snarled, glowering. The strange man's smile seemed to grow even wider. He straightened himself and strutted over.  
  
"Yeah, you can help me," Megan frowned narrowed suspiciously. The man brushed the hair out of her eyes, fingers gracing over her scalp. "I lost my dog," he purred. "Have you seen it?"  
  
"No!" Megan snapped, slapping his hand out of the way. "I haven't seen any stupid dogs!"  
  
"Are you sure?" he licked his lips. "It's a German Shepard. She's almost as pretty as you are,"  
  
"Get away from me!"  
  
Megan turned to run and felt somebody grab her from behind. She screamed and began to flail her arms before realizing no one was hurting her. Instead, whoever had snatched her was trying to calm her down.  
  
"Miss. Miss, what's wrong? Are you all right?"  
  
Megan opened her eyes and looked over her shoulder. It was a knight! Probably one of the Pluto knights! He smiled warmly and released her, bowing low.  
  
"I am sorry, Miss," he apologized. "But I can't seem to understand what it was that frightened you,"  
  
Megan craned her neck to look over his shoulder. The man was gone. She smoothed out her skirt, taking a deep breath.  
  
"It's nothing," she muttered. "Thanks for helping me,"  
  
The knight saluted, grinning jovially.  
  
/Whoa . . . This guy loves his job WAY too much . . ./ Megan thought. She was about to curtsy to the armor-clad soldier (just to make him feel like he was doing a good job) when Megan spotted something darting in and out of the shop booths on the side of the street. Her mouth dropped open in surprise.  
  
It was a German Shepard . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kuja ran his fingers over the innumerable texts nestled in Alexandria Castle's library. So many books! It reminded him vaguely of his Desert Palace. He frowned, searching through the many volumes, going up and down rows and rows and shelves and shelves of old and dusty, clean and new leafs of paper.  
  
"Gargoyles . . . Gremlins . . . Geez, what's with the monsters? Ah, here it is. The Great War," Kuja slid the large text out of its small cranny on the shelf and flipped to the first page, curious.  
  
"A modern-day account of the war that plagued our planet . . ." Kuja snorted, chuckling. "Modern day? It happened three years ago!" however, curiosity got the better of him and he carried it over to one of the nearby tables.  
  
Within minutes he was rooted to his seat in fascination.  
  
"King Elric's rule of the Alexandrian territory caused a national uprising in the numbers of grain and various other crops harvested during the annual flooding of its bordering ocean (possibly caused by irregular tides from the Red Moon now known formally as Terra)," as the warlock read this aloud, his eyes widened with interest. Though he took an obviously active role in the war, he'd never really known much beyond his own part. Still, he continued reading. "Tragically, on the day of his wife's birthday, Elric was stricken with an incurable case of pneumonia and passed away leaving the throne to the queen and no male heirs or any children of his own blood (the throne was to be succeeded by his adopted daughter) . . ."  
  
"Fascinating, isn't it? To read from the other side?" Kuja looked up from the book, surprised. It was Beatrix, and she did not look happy. She slid into the seat across from him, glancing down at the text. "You know, there are many others," she gestured towards the document. "This is simply the biggest,"  
  
Kuja scowled. "And probably the most biased," he glared at it.  
  
"Hate to break it to you, Kuja," Beatrix muttered. "But you're the only one who sees it from the other point of view. The whole world's against you. And you know it,"  
  
"Well you were ALWAYS against me," Kuja pointed out, flipping a page in the book and beginning to read. Beatrix shifted uncomfortably in her seat.  
  
"Not always . . ."  
  
Kuja said nothing. Finally, he spoke. "The war is over now. I've left all that behind,"  
  
"Then what are you doing here?"  
  
"I was forced here, thank you,"  
  
"By who?"  
  
"Megan,"  
  
"The girl?" a small trace of a smile flitted across Beatrix's harsh features. "What is she? Some kinda girlfriend?"  
  
Kuja made a disgusted face. "No! I just . . . live . . . uh . . ."  
  
"You live with her?!" the general looked ready to burst out laughing. Kuja growled.  
  
"We're not going out! She's a nice girl! She . . . deserves better than me . . ."  
  
Now it was Beatrix's turn to look serious. "Wait. Hold the boat. She . . . Doesn't know . . ."  
  
Kuja looked away, ashamed. "No. She doesn't,"  
  
"Does she SUSPECT?"  
  
"Not at all. I'm just another guy. Another peasant,"  
  
Beatrix seemed strangely nervous. "But you're name. Surely she - "  
  
"She knows me as Feather. Nothing more,"  
  
They lapsed into silence. There were footsteps near the door. The both looked up to see Eiko standing near the threshold. She glared and flitted away, out of sight. Kuja just sighed.  
  
"I hate myself sometimes . . ."  
  
Beatrix lowered her gaze, hands folded in her lap. Silently, she made a vow in her mind.  
  
/I will support you if you can prove your worth. I know you are - and once were - a good person. I will help you . . . If I can . . ./  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: Erm. Yeah. I just wanna say that I take your criticism into account. Like, someone told me Megan seemed a bit alternate reality so I'm going to try to make her a little more Gaian. Whatever that is . . . Also, I guess I can cut out a little swearing and stuff. But I can't help but feel that the characters really do that. And I'm still convinced Zidane had the best insult in the game when he called Kuja a "rat bastard." *Laughs hysterically* Rat bastard! That is SOOOOO funny! Anyhow, this is really strange 'cause It shows on my number that I got eight reviews but if you look in the box it shows only three *shrugs* I got all the others via e- mail. And it says I have six pages of reviews but the last page is blank which means the website forgot to put some on. Odd . . . Oh well. READ AND REVIEW!!! Yah!  
  
___ Black Mage Dad ___  
  
P.S. Drunk-Kuja *snort* HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! *Rolls around on the floor hysterical* 


	13. The Plan Begins

A/N: Oh . . . my . . . goodness gracious . . . I've reached one hundred reviews! I don't know how to thank you all! Oh me, oh my! I say everyone who's ever reviewed this story deserves to win the lottery! You guys are SO COOL! So, to kinda make up for some short chapters, I made this one nice and long. Not only that, but the action is FINALLY going to start ^_^ Thank you EVERYONE! You people are the best in the world!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy *sigh* and I don't *sob* own Kuja *bursts into tears*  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend."  
  
- William Blake, Jerusalem, 1820  
  
Mikoto had never "ohmed" so much in her entire life. Sitting with her legs crossed - what looked to be painfully - beneath her, thumb to index finger, eyes closed.  
  
At this time, Ummei creaked open the door to the engine-room dungeon, searching for the prisoner in the dim light and shutting the portal quietly behind him.  
  
"Kid," he addressed simply, hands on his hips. Mikoto opened one eye blearily, lips twitching into a frown.  
  
"Thanks a bunch, jerk-off," she grunted. "I was just about to achieve enlightenment,"  
  
Ummei blinked. "What's that?"  
  
Mikoto sighed and rolled her eyes. "Let me put it this way," she stated blandly. "If I had achieved enlightenment and then I died here, I wouldn't have to be worried about EVER having to go through this again,"  
  
Ummei's blank look didn't go anywhere. " . . . Oh . . ." Blink - blink.  
  
Mikoto groaned and uncurled her legs, resting back against some weird pipe her shackles had been hooked on to. "So what are you doing in here?" the blonde queried, deciding she'd better do something "good" with her time.  
  
Ummei shrugged and sat down against the wall across from her, pulling his knees up to his chest. "What's it to you?"  
  
The genome couldn't help but grin superiorly. "So you're my prison guard now, eh?"  
  
Ummei looked rather disgruntled. "The Master told me I was too stupid to amount to anything on the field,"  
  
Mikoto smirked. "Yeah, well . . ." she stopped. "What field?"  
  
"Battle-field,"  
  
"What battle-field?"  
  
Ummei shrugged again. "How should I know? They never let me do ANYTHING!"  
  
"Why not?" Mikoto asked. "You seemed pretty strong that day you fought me in the village,"  
  
Ummei folded his arms over his knees, sighing. "They don't think I'm trustworthy. 'Cause I used that weapon and could've screwed up the plans and stuff,"  
  
That didn't make any sense to Mikoto at all. "Why? 'Cause you could've killed me or something?"  
  
"Partially. But . . . That weapon does other things too . . . Things I shouldn't have tampered with," Ummei's fingers gingerly rubbed his shoulder, still sore from the whipping. Mikoto cocked her head curiously, but didn't say anything. Finally, she had to ask.  
  
"Ummei . . . please . . . tell me everything you know about this . . . thing,"  
  
"You mean why you're captive and stuff?"  
  
"Yeah. Everything,"  
  
The green-eyed man scratched the back of his neck thoughtfully, the vacant glaze still on his face.  
  
"None of us really know much except The Master, the Master's master, and stupid Lulian. The rest of us are pretty much left in the dust,"  
  
"What constitutes as 'the rest of us'?"  
  
" . . . What . . .?"  
  
Mikoto sighed. "I mean, how many are there? Who are you people?"  
  
Ummei rested his chin in his hands, staring at the wall behind Mikoto, eyes tracing over the pipes and metal that covered the interior of the ship.  
  
"There's a lot of us. This ship is packed,"  
  
"And . . ."  
  
"And that's all I know,"  
  
Mikoto raised an eyebrow. "You don't know what you are? Believe me: I saw. You're not . . . human. I've pretty much established that. And how come you and The Master and Lulian look so much alike? Tell me!" Mikoto yanked on her shackles in frustration. They clanked angrily against the hollow pipe, echoing around the room. Ummei just looked away, shutting his eyes. A soft sigh escape the man's lips.  
  
"All right," he said slowly, wincing. "You seem like a pretty decent girl. I'm just going to tell you this: You're in serious danger. And not just you,"  
  
"Who?! Who else?!" Mikoto was nearly hysterical. He was telling her something! She had to milk out as much out as possible!  
  
"Lot's of people," Ummei muttered. "Pretty much all of Gaia,"  
  
"Specify!"  
  
Ummei bit his lip. He wasn't totally sure he knew what "specify" meant but he could pretty much read the context clues.  
  
"Okay, I'll just tell you what I've heard. I don't know who a lot of these people are . . ."  
  
"Yes . . ."  
  
"Well, I overheard The Master's master saying that all surviving summoners were in big trouble . . . And the genomes . . . And . . . um . . ."  
  
Mikoto was feeling impatient. "C'mon Ummei! Spit it out!"  
  
"Your older brother is doomed!" the brunette blurted out before he realized what he'd said. Ummei clapped a hand over his mouth in horror, blushing. Mikoto blinked.  
  
"All right," she snapped. "You're stupid master can say whatever he wants but my older brother is dead!"  
  
"He's not," Ummei whispered guiltily, lowering his gaze sadly. "And he's doomed. I'm sorry to have to be the one to tell you that,"  
  
The blonde felt wracked with doubt for the first time in awhile. "Kuja . . .?" she breathed softly, trying to fold her hands in her lap as much as possible while being shackled to a pipe. "Wh . . . what're they going to do to him?"  
  
Ummei just shook his head, grimacing. "Terrible things . . ."  
  
"Like what?!"  
  
Ummei hesitated, chewing on his lip. Finally, he told her everything . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Alexandria was finally beginning to wake up, butter-beams of light shooting out across the beautiful city as shops began to open and markets began to set up once more. The partying had died down somewhat but people were still eager to go out and make the best of so many Gaians being in town at one time. It was good for tourist taxes.  
  
Kuja sat upon one of the balconies, high up above the city itself in Alexandria Castle. He looked down at the people, like tiny little ants, and imagined himself stepping on and squashing every last one of them. A grin twisted onto his face, only to be replaced by a scowl.  
  
/Stop it./ he scolded. /You know better than that./  
  
He sighed slowly. He was probably one of the few people awake in the castle. It was still very early. The warlock had barely slept all night. Nightmares had haunted him; strangled him. They were different this time. He closed his eyes, recalling.  
  
/Flash/  
  
A dungeon. Flames at one end, the Iifa Tree at the other. Kuja stood in the middle, eyes flitting back and forth. He had to make a decision about something but couldn't recall what.  
  
Suddenly, he became aware of the cells in the dungeon. Their metal bars flashed as he turned towards them.  
  
He let out a soft cry of surprise.  
  
There were genomes. Dozens of genomes. Kuja stared at them in horror. None of them moved. Were they . . .?  
  
Something flickered. In fact, exactly half of the genomes flickered. Holograms? Some sort of illusion?  
  
Something tugged the back of his cloak. Whirling around, Kuja found himself face to face with . . . Megan?  
  
"Kuja!" she wailed. She too, was behind bars. She gripped them furiously, shaking them like a rabid animal. "I can't do it! Tell them I can't! TELL THEM!" she shrieked.  
  
There was a flare of flames. They were creeping out of the strange emptiness that clouded the sides of the dungeon. Somehow Kuja knew they were going to smother the Iifa Tree.  
  
The sorcerer looked back at the genomes and gasped. He was in there! But he, too, flickered eerily. Then he felt something fall next to him. Looking down, he saw that Zidane had collapsed at his feet.  
  
Everything was swirling. Kuja couldn't concentrate on one thing at a time. He was sinking down next to his brother. He looked back at Megan. She was pointing a finger lividly at something.  
  
Garnet and Eiko stood shrouded in shadow like two evil wraiths. Megan was rattling the bars again, accusing them of something.  
  
"That's them! They can! They can! Tell them, Kuja! TELL THEM!"  
  
The warlock blanched. She'd said his name! He couldn't ask her how she knew. He was sinking. Someone was laughing. Then he felt people surrounding him. He looked up. They were shadows of people he'd once known. Dead. They were turning away, leaving.  
  
Much to his surprise, they were calling out to him. Pleading for freedom.  
  
"Kuja! Help! Don't let him!" Kuja knew the voice from somewhere but was too tired to remember. He closed his eyes.  
  
Someone was standing over him. They placed a hand on his forehead. His eyes burned. It felt as if they were ripping out his mind.  
  
Somehow he knew the woman with the violet eyes was nearby. Kuja opened his own and saw that she was, indeed, standing in front of the cells, that sad expression never faltering. Then she let out a scream of anguish and clutched her head in agony.  
  
"No!" she screamed. "Wake up!"  
  
And everything was engulfed in flames . . .  
  
/Flash/  
  
"What could this mean?" Kuja wondered, rubbing his forehead irritably. Suddenly, he became aware of a shape moving in the sky. He looked up, staring at it. It was like a giant black shadow moving above the clouds. He frowned.  
  
/Probably a stray airship coming in for the festivities . . ./  
  
But still, he couldn't be sure . . .  
  
"Feather!"  
  
Kuja glanced over his shoulder and saw Megan running onto the balcony, a letter clutched tightly in her hands.  
  
"Hey, Meg," he greeted casually, swinging his legs over the railing so that he sat facing her. Megan grinned, brandishing the envelope.  
  
"Look! My mom sent us a note by moogle!"  
  
"Really? What about?"  
  
Megan chuckled. "She's so overprotective. It's all about everything we shouldn't do and stuff,"  
  
Kuja laughed, his horrendous night momentarily forgotten. "That sounds like her, alright,"  
  
Megan grinned slyly. "You think I should write back about how you were arrested and stuff?"  
  
Kuja pretended to be annoyed but he couldn't help but fear that she would. Somehow, he'd always felt this strange tension between the Yorokobi's. Like they suspected him or something.  
  
"Give me a break, Megan!" he groaned, rolling his eyes. As Megan averted her attention back to glancing over the letter, Kuja thought about his dream.  
  
/Flash/  
  
I can't do it! Tell them I can't! TELL THEM!  
  
/Flash/  
  
Kuja glanced up at Megan, the girl he'd lived with for two-and-a-half years. The thought struck him quite suddenly that he knew hardly anything about her.  
  
"Hey, Megs," he called, using the little pet name he often affiliated her with. Megan looked up from the paper, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Um, I was just wondering," Kuja shifted rather uncomfortably. "Where are you from? You said you hadn't lived in Katei your whole life,"  
  
Megan shrugged. She didn't seem to want to talk about it. Carefully, she folded up the letter.  
  
"Shall we proceed?" she asked kindly, making a low, sweeping bow. Kuja's eyes twinkled.  
  
"Ladies first,"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Garnet growled as she glared around a nearby pillar. He was in the library again! Every day with the library! The same damn book! It took a lot of willpower for the queen not to grab the stupid thing and smack him over the head with it.  
  
Kuja sat quietly at the table, pouring through the book on the Great War. He seemed deeply fascinated with it. He had hidden himself in there for many days because of the "incident."  
  
Everyone had been in the dining room talking. Kuja had been there too, despite the looks he was getting. He knew people were talking about him behind his back yet he ignored it! And that idiot girl never noticed! Then, as Kuja had been walking past two Alexandrian soldiers, one of them had accidentally stated a little too loudly:  
  
"Ugh, there's that silver-haired freak again. Somebody ought to spray him with pesticide,"  
  
Silence. Dead silence. And most people simply gave the soldier approving nods. Kuja had avoided all contact with anyone but Megan after that.  
  
Garnet continued to glare. How she loathed that man!  
  
"You know, your majesty, I don't think snooping was listed in the requirements for world leader,"  
  
Garnet started. How had he known she was there?! Stepping out from behind the pillar, the queen folded her arms huffily, glowering.  
  
"Well, somebody has to watch you!"  
  
Kuja didn't even look up from the book. "Is that really necessary?"  
  
"Of course it is! I'm surprised you haven't tried to murder us all in our sleep!" Kuja snorted.  
  
"Really, your majesty. The thought hasn't even crossed my mind," the genome flipped a page, eyes moving back and forth over the words.  
  
"I don't know WHAT Zidane sees in you!" Garnet snapped, taking a step closer. Kuja shrugged, still reading.  
  
"And . . . And I think you're a big bully!"  
  
"Mhm . . ." Kuja ignored the angered woman. Garnet hated being snubbed like that. She wracked her mind for something - anything - that would REALLY hurt. Something to make him writhe.  
  
"You don't deserve the luxury of life!" she cried, flames in her eyes. "And Garland had the right idea placing that limit on your life! Because you ARE nothing but a failure! And you will ALWAYS be second best!"  
  
Kuja's eyes widened.  
  
/Flash/  
  
You ARE second best, and you will always BE second best!  
  
/Flash/  
  
Kuja slammed the book shut with a crack. He stood up furiously. Garnet realized she'd gone too far and took a step back. His eyes were glowing a violent red. He was breathing heavily, lip curling. Just as Garnet braced for an attack, Kuja's eyes went back to their usual chilling blue and his fists unclenched. He had a look of unnatural calm on his face. Casually, he glided past her and out the door.  
  
She didn't see him the rest of the day.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Mikoto was on the brink of tears. She held her face in her hands, sniffling them back. Ummei looked rather concerned but tried to act nonplussed. It was his job, after all.  
  
"Hey, I'm sorry," he muttered. "But at least now you know,"  
  
Mikoto raised her face, eyes red. "Somebody's got to stop this!" she moaned, sitting back on her heels. "Somebody has to tell him!"  
  
Ummei shook his head. "What good would it do? If he knew, I mean,"  
  
Mikoto thought hard, searching for an answer. "He could be on his guard!" she decided, nodding.  
  
Ummei sighed. "That wouldn't help at all. Unless there was a way to . . ."  
  
SLAM! The door shot open and smashed into the wall with a loud crack that made them both jump. The Master stood in the doorway, arms folded, a small smile on his face.  
  
"Ummei, I've got fabulous news," he stated, flipping a strand of coffee- colored hair over his shoulder. "We're initiating the plan today and I'm going to let you come along,"  
  
Ummei gave Mikoto a fleeting look, then registered what The Master had said. "Really? Are you kidding?"  
  
"Not even slightly,"  
  
Ummei scrambled to his feet, bowing low. "Thank you, Master. Thank you," The Master's green eyes flashed.  
  
"I look forward to this day very much. There are things I must . . . settle . . ."  
  
Ummei looked surprised and frowned. "You're not going to . . . I mean, it's so early," he glanced back at Mikoto. Her eyes were red with fresh tears. The Master laughed, shaking his head.  
  
"Of course not!" he chuckled. "This is mostly scouting. But perhaps . . ." he stopped as if hearing a silent call and nodded.  
  
"Come, Ummei. We must go," Ummei bit his lip, glancing at Mikoto once more.  
  
"What about the prisoner?"  
  
The Master turned away icily, heading out into the inner ship. "Leave her here. I want her to writhe in misery, knowing what we're going to do,"  
  
Ummei trotted out the door like an obedient dog having been told to heel. Just as he was about to close the door he whispered:  
  
"I'll tell you what happens . . ."  
  
And Mikoto was left sitting shackled alone in the dark . . .  
  
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At around noon, Zidane walked into the dining room to have lunch with Garnet. She was already sitting there, smiling as he walked in. She loved seeing him around the castle after three years of thinking . . . It . . . had happened. Zidane pulled up a chair next to her and pecked her majesty on the cheek playfully. The queen giggled, blushing.  
  
Eventually, their talk turned to the relationships of their friends. When would Steiner pop the question to Beatrix? Was it possible for Freya and Fratley to get together again? Did Lani REALLY like Amarant? And when would Eiko stop loving Zidane? They weren't sure of any of them.  
  
All at once, Megan walked into the room, looking puzzled. "Zidane, have you seen Feather? He's, like, vanished or something,"  
  
Garnet put down her cup with a start, eyes wide.  
  
"Um, Megan. About that,"  
  
Zidane's eyes locked on his fiancés immediately. "Dagger . . . What did you do to him . . .?"  
  
Garnet swirled her glass idly, contemplating what to say. "Well, you see . . . I was talking to him and we sorta . . . argued . . . and I sorta said things that weren't so nice and he sorta . . . left,"  
  
Zidane creased his brow. "Meaning . . .?"  
  
"He left the castle,"  
  
"Okay, Dagger. Finish the sentence," Garnet sighed heavily, putting down the cup.  
  
". . . In a fit of rage . . ."  
  
"God damnit, Dagger," Zidane stood up angrily, his chair scraping against the tiles. "We'd better go find him before someone tries to murder him or something,"  
  
"Whaddya mean 'we?'"  
  
"You heard me," Zidane grabbed the queen's arm and dragged her out of her seat much to her dismay. "This is YOUR fault and YOUR going to help us fix it,"  
  
The genome stormed out of the room, Garnet trailing miserably behind him. Megan blinked.  
  
"Hey! Wait for me!"  
  
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BOOM! Steiner let out a choked gasp, ducking as the wall behind him exploded.  
  
"What the - ?!"  
  
"Captain! Someone's attacking the city!"  
  
Steiner straightened, blinking dust out of his eyes. "What?! Who?!"  
  
The Pluto Knight shook his head, helmet wagging loosely. "We don't know! It's a huge ship! And there's people! Really weird looking people destroying everything!"  
  
There was mass chaos. People screamed and ran everywhere as buildings exploded and walls shattered to the ground.  
  
"Get the other knights!" Steiner commanded, unsheathing his sword. "Hurry!" the soldier went running off, tripping over his feet in the rush.  
  
The second Zidane opened the door to the castle his mouth dropped open in shock.  
  
"What in the name of all things holy - ?"  
  
Steiner, spotting the Queen, Zidane, and the weird girl he'd seen briefly with that silver-haired fiend, scrambled over towards them, gripping his sword fiercely.  
  
"Steiner!" Garnet shouted as the captain slid to a halt before them. "What's going on?! Are we under some sort of attack?"  
  
"Your Majesty," Steiner addressed, grabbing her hand. "Please, you must hide somewhere safe! Who knows what these villains are after!"  
  
"Hey!"  
  
It was Eiko, followed closely by Regent Cid, Lady Hilda, Freya, Fratley, Amarant, Lani, Quina, Vivi, and Beatrix. They all seemed extremely flustered and covered in debris.  
  
"Your Majesty!" Freya shouted as they all filed up next to the group. "You shouldn't be out here!" It looked like an argument was going to start any second. Unfortunately, it was broken by Megan letting out a gasp and leaning over as if she were going to be sick.  
  
/Flash/  
  
"Don't let them get him!"  
  
"Why you little - !"  
  
"Megan! Warn the others!"  
  
"No! You can't!"  
  
There was a blood-curdling scream followed by a cruel laugh.  
  
/Flash/  
  
For some reason, Megan's mind went on fast-forward.  
  
"Feather!" she breathed, realization striking her over the head like a giant mallet. "He's in the city somewhere!"  
  
She took off before anyone could grab her.  
  
"Megan! No!" Zidane yelled, running after the young woman.  
  
Next thing they knew, everyone else was running closely behind into the heart of the destruction . . .  
  
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A/N: Uh oh. I just noticed this is chapter unlucky thirteen! Whoo . . . *proceeds to make scary noises* Anyhoo . . . Who's started the fifth Harry Potter book? It's REALLY good. And I noticed some of the plot was like this one in a twisted sorta way. Yeah . . . whatever . . . Hmm . . . This chapter opened the doors for some new plot twists. And no, Kuja is NOT dead as one of my friends seemed to think he was. *Rolls her eyes* Yes, I mercilessly kill main characters for no reason . . . Where the freak did she get THAT idea from? Also, she seemed to be under the impression that Garnet and Eiko are going to be evil 'cause of that dream and stuff. When did I say that?! I just said they LOOKED evil! Geez . . . 


	14. The Fight of the Tailed

A/N: Yo! I'm back! Sorry about the wait! I know, I'm evil and I suck ^_^ *Looks around nervously as the reviewers stand by, smacking bats in their hands* Ehehehe . . . *Shifty eyes* Anyhoo, I have an explanation! See, I wrote this WHOLE long chapter, see? And I finished it early, too! Then, just as I was about to post it I thought: "Hmm . . . You never reread it, BMD. Maybe you should . . ." So I did. And when I was done, I reached a very simple conclusion:  
  
IT - SUCKED!!!!  
  
So I went back and rewrote the whole thing! *Grins* . . . *Reviewers continue smacking bats in their hands*  
  
Er . . . Also, this chapter reveals so much of the plot I could explode! *Explodes*  
  
Person in BMD's mind: WAIT! Don't explode!  
  
BMD: *Implodes*  
  
Person in BMD's mind: You reveal a lot, but not enough to even get a stomachache!  
  
BMD: *Thinks about it* You're right . . . I'll save that for when the WHOLE plot comes out.  
  
Reviewers: *Smack . . . Smack . . .*  
  
Disclaimer: Okay, everyone knows this already . . . I DON'T OWN FINAL FANTASY!!!! DUH!!!!!!!  
  
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"When they discover the center of the universe, a lot of people will be disappointed to discover they are not it."  
  
Bernard Bailey  
  
Megan ran so fast she couldn't even think straight; she didn't even know where she was going. All she could think about was Feather and what would happen if . . . well, if something happened to him.  
  
/Why am I concerned about him?/ she wondered through the haze and blurs of exploding buildings around her. /I know he can fend for himself. So why am I worried?/  
  
"MEGAN!!!" the brunette ignored the frightened voices of the others behind her.  
  
/No . . . I've got to find him . . ./  
  
"AAARGH!" Megan felt her feet fly out from under her as she tripped over a bump in the road. She hit the ground hard, skidding slightly. She felt the skin on her arms scrape and they immediately lit on fire. However, looking over her shoulder, Megan realized her luck. The item shop behind her had just burst into flames and debris was raining down like hail upon the spot she had just been running past.  
  
"Megan, are you all right?!" Zidane was immediately at her side, helping the girl to her feet. Megan nodded numbly, realizing how dizzy she was all of the sudden. The others were coming up behind, looking relieved.  
  
"Megan, you can't just go running off like that," Fratley scolded, whiskers twitching. Megan felt a strange hot wrath she couldn't explain inside. Who was HE to tell her what to do?! He had probably just heard her name two seconds ago!  
  
"Listen, we've got to get back," Garnet informed her companions, biting her lip. "This isn't safe and they're already evacuating the city without us," Steiner, naturally, nodded approvingly.  
  
"Good idea. You guys head back to the castle and the general and I will take care of - WATCH OUT!!!"  
  
Something whizzed over their heads and smashed into the inn nearby, shattering it into a thousand pieces with a sickening crackle. Stones and brick flew through the air, hitting the ground so hard it cracked.  
  
"RUN!" Beatrix shouted, shoving Lani, who look back at her in a rather disgruntled fashion, out of the way. Megan whirled, eyes wide with fear. There were stones coming down EVERYWHERE! With no other options left, she dropped to her knees and covered her head, whimpering as pebbles rained down on her back like little needles.  
  
Zidane grabbed Garnet, holding her tight. They remained locked in the embrace, eyes slammed shut.  
  
"Zidane! Garnet! Duck!" Regent Cid yelled, trying to see them through the dust clogging the air around the square. The soon-to-be-wedded couple looked up just in time to see a block the size of a small air-cab screaming straight down like a minute meteor. Zidane shoved Garnet hard in the chest and the two fell backward just as the block landed in between them causing small cracks like spider-webs to form around it like rays of sunlight. But a blood-curdling scream rose through the air causing the hairs on the back of Zidane's neck to rise off his skin and make him shiver.  
  
"Your majesty!" Steiner cried, lunging forward. But a foot came down hard on his back and pressed him into the ground, cracking his armor. The knight struggled briefly, then raised his eyes. His mouth formed a perfect "o" of surprise.  
  
"Don't - move . . ."  
  
"Steiner?!" Beatrix yelled, spinning around. The dust was beginning to settle. Everything was coming back into focus.  
  
Regent Cid and Lady Hilda were holding Eiko, blocking her from the debris. Quina was jumping up and down, tongue flapping as he looked around wildly. Freya and Fratley had their spears ready, looking angry. Amarant had his hand on Lani's head, holding her down. She was swiping at him furiously but he just rolled his eyes. Vivi was kneeling on the ground, holding down his hat as if afraid it was going to be blown away.  
  
Zidane was lying on his back, mind swirling. Not daring to open his eyes, he reached up towards the throbbing spot on his head. There was a warm liquid trickling down his cheek. Blood . . .? What had just happened? He'd been hit with a rock . . . Someone had screamed . . . Garnet . . .?  
  
Zidane sat up with such a jolt that it felt as if his brain had a head-on collision with his skull.  
  
"Dagger?!"  
  
Garnet was leaning back on her elbows, tears rolling down her face, gasping for breath. Zidane realized, with a horrible flopping sensation in his stomach, what had happened.  
  
Garnet's leg was beneath the stone . . .  
  
"Oh my god!" he scrambled to his feet and dropped to his knees next to the queen, trying to see the extent of the damage. She whimpered and let out a faint cry of pain.  
  
"Shh . . . shh . . . Don't move, you'll make it worse," Zidane whispered, moving her dress a little. Well, the leg still seemed to be attached. But that was all he could tell.  
  
Something pressed sharply into the back of his neck, causing the genome to freeze in his tracks.  
  
"Nobody move," someone commanded from above. "Stay where you are,"  
  
Steiner stood up slowly, the foot removed from his back. Everyone else rose as well, hands in the air nervously. When the knight saw Garnet, he made to run towards her once more, however, a sword flashed through the air in front of him forcing Steiner to stumble back, yelping with surprise. A woman with shoulder-length, curly brown hair was glaring at him, a sword pointed in his direction and the end of some weapon he didn't recognize pressed into the back of Zidane's neck.  
  
"I thought I said DON'T MOVE!" she screeched, eyes flashing. They were scary; an electric, leopard green. Steiner opened his mouth to protest but Beatrix stepped down hard on his foot and he shut up immediately. Nearby, Garnet cried softly. The pain was unimaginable. Zidane squeezed her shoulders reassuringly. Nobody spoke. A cold breeze was ruffling their hair.  
  
Then the woman lowered her weapons. Zidane turned to see why. And his mouth dropped open in shock.  
  
Shapes were moving in the debris, rising slowly out of the mess of dirt and rubble. People . . . people were climbing out of the rocks like insects creeping out of the very earth itself. They crawled forward, forming a circle around the crew, and slowly they rose like ethereal black specters of the night. Each wore a grin of pure malice.  
  
"Z-Zidane . . ." Garnet choked out, chest heaving. "Who ARE these people?!"  
  
Zidane didn't answer. He was numb with horror. The newcomers were all drawing various assortments of weapons, their eyes sparkling. Their green eyes . . . like emeralds as the sun fades from the sky. The woman who had been standing in the middle of the circle moved away, stepping back into the mass of people. There had to be at least a hundred of them. And, Zidane noticed, as soon as she stepped in, she seemed to vanish. It took him a moment to realize that all the people were disturbingly similar in appearance: dark brown hair, tall, lanky, jade-stone green eyes . . .  
  
His thoughts were shaken from his head as a deep rumble broke through the air above. All eyes turned to the sky as a ship descended a short distance away from the circle, the wind billowing around it. It touched down slowly, and sent clouds of dust puffing out around it.  
  
"The Invincible . . .?" Beatrix queried uncertainly, staring at the machine as its wings folded back onto its sides and the engine slowly faded and died away.  
  
"But it can't be . . ." Freya whispered, frowning. "The Invincible's back at the castle . . ."  
  
Silence descended once more. No one spoke. Their seemed to be a nervous wave running through the outer circle of people. The curly-haired woman from before was shifting from foot to foot, hands clenched at her sides.  
  
The door on the side of the ship slid slowly open, and someone stepped out, landing lightly upon the ground like a cat. He was tall, just like the others, and he too had the brown hair (which was pulled back into a ponytail) and the green eyes. But his eyes were different. They were so much colder. So much scarier. A shiver ran through the crew trapped in the circle, and the air dropped several degrees as his lips twisted into a grin.  
  
"I - I don't like the looks of this guy . . ." Vivi whimpered, wringing his fingers nervously. Amarant nodded, folding his arms over his chest.  
  
"Yeah . . ." he agreed. "I've known a lot of losers . . . and this guy's trouble . . ."  
  
A section of the circle parted slightly, allowing the newcomer to enter the ring. He had his hands on his hips and his eyes were glittering. Garnet shuddered and hugged Zidane harder.  
  
"Well, well, well . . ." the man muttered, his voice like running grease. "This is an interesting group . . . Let's see," he cast his eyes around the companions, freezing their insides. "We've got a pair of vermin . . . Some miscellaneous bandits and nobles . . ."  
  
"SHUT UP!" Lani yelled, running forward. Amarant simply held out an arm and flung her backwards as if she were a mere fly. The brunette stumbled slightly and stood up growling. However, she didn't charge forward a second time. The green-eyed man was smirking at her.  
  
"What else have we got?" he asked quietly, walking around the group like a sergeant inspecting his crew. His clothes, they noticed, were - like the others - very weird. Gloves, boots, drenched in strange gadgets. He looked like something from another world . . . His eyes roved on to Megan, and he chuckled quietly. "You . . ." he purred, smiling hungrily. "You wouldn't tell me where my dog was . . ."  
  
Megan shook as she stood there. He was the one that had cornered her in the Alexandrian market-square demanding that she tell him where his German Shepard was!  
  
"Not a problem . . ." the man continued, brushing a strand of mahogany hair over his shoulder. "I found her . . . And the summoners!" he exclaimed suddenly, clapping his hands together as he spotted Eiko and the injured queen. "How wonderful! And . . ." his voice faded off as he spotted Zidane. "The genome . . ."  
  
He strode over to the side of the circle and crouched down next to the second angel of death, snatching his chin in his hands and tilting the boy's head up. "Amazing . . ." the green-eyed villain whispered, staring into Zidane face. "All the recurring traits are present: dirty blonde hair, vacant blue eyes, the blank expression . . . Yet this one is so different! You are the only one I haven't had the . . . privilege . . . to see,"  
  
"Don't touch me!" Zidane yelled, slapping the man's hand out of the way. "I don't know WHO the hell you are but if you don't get the hell OUTTA here I swear I'm going to bash your head open!" the man laughed and stood up, looking delighted.  
  
"A bad temper must run in your family!" he guffawed, turning away. The villain beckoned towards the circle of people and two of the mysterious humans tumbled out, looking nervous. One of them was the curly-haired woman from before. The other looked like a shorter, thinner, weaker version of the man himself.  
  
"Dart," the leader addressed the girl. "Go out into the city and find Lulian for me. Tell her I said 'two-thirds.' She'll understand,"  
  
"But what if she's not - "  
  
"She should be in the form of a German Shepard,"  
  
Dart nodded and, right before their eyes, vanished. A gasp arose from the crew but they said nothing. Now the man turned to the boy and he was a lot rougher with him then Dart. Grabbing the kid by the shoulder, the leader shook him fiercely and pushed him backwards with agitation.  
  
"You're going to be my backup, Ummei, understood?" he snapped, bearing down upon his junior. The boy looked scared out of his wits.  
  
"Backup for what?"  
  
A grin spread across the man's face. He turned away and pulled a large weapon out of its sheathe. He seemed to delight in the blank looks he got from it. Zidane was the only one in the circle who recognized the weapon for what it was, a memory slipping out from his life on Terra. Though it didn't seem exactly right, the genome put the only word he could on the device: gun. But it was red and consisting of strange gadgets Zidane had never seen: a retractable sword, several buttons, and what looked almost like a needle coming out of the bottom of the nozzle. Slowly, with the grace of a swan, the man pointed the gun straight in Megan's face.  
  
"I don't know who you are . . ." he whispered, cocking the device. It clicked and loaded. "But you are not part of these plans, thus, you must not be important and I can kill you,"  
  
Megan was rooted to the spot with fright, breaking out in a cold sweat. The man licked his lips, index finger itching to squeeze the trigger. Eiko covered her eyes in horror. But suddenly . . .  
  
"NOOOOOO!!!" Vivi jumped in front of the young woman, holding his arms out like a barrier. "Don't kill her! She didn't do anything to you!"  
  
The man seemed mildly surprised and raised an eyebrow, lowering the gun ever so slightly.  
  
"A black mage," he acknowledged, eyes curious. "A simple creation based on darker forms of magic. A new being beginning sometime within the last twelve years. Created by a very unwise sorcerer . . ." Zidane clenched his fists angrily. "And not meant to live much longer than a year . . ." Vivi trembled but looked determined, ignoring the insults being thrown at him. Megan prodded the mage desperately in the back, pleading with him to stop trying to sacrifice himself for her. The man sneered. A grin that sent shivers down everyone's spine twisted upon his face and he uttered one deadly word . . .  
  
". . . Disposable . . ."  
  
BAM! Garnet screamed, burying her face in Zidane's chest. Lady Hilda flung Eiko around, trying to hide the young summoner's eyes. Steiner let out a cry and dropped to his knees, Excalibur II falling limply out of his hands. Vivi fell backwards into Megan, who caught the mage and let out a sob, lowering him to the ground.  
  
"VIVI!" she pleaded, shaking him. "Open your eyes!"  
  
And he did. He sat up, too, straightening his hat. Megan blinked.  
  
"What the - ?" she placed a hand on Vivi's blue coat, searching for a wound. There was nothing. All eyes turned on the villain. He was still holding out the gun, but the bullet, which should have killed Vivi on impact, was suspended in midair as if frozen. The man looked shocked.  
  
With a swoop, a woman appeared out of nowhere next to him, landing in a crouched position. She, too, seemed different from the others. Her brown hair was layered and streaked with blonde and she seemed more . . . developed . . . than the other women. Her dress seemed to emphasize this even more.  
  
"Wha - ?" she spotted the bullet and blinked, standing up. Slowly, the man raised his eyes. A look of malice passed over his face. Now, everyone was turning around, looking to see what was so fascinating behind them.  
  
He floated high in the air, silvery hair flowing gracefully in the wind. His white cloak billowed out behind him despite the lack of breeze and an orange glow seemed to surround his body. Ice-blue eyes flashing to red . . . face taut with a rage none of them had ever seen before.  
  
"Feather!" Megan cried, taking a step forward to run to her friend. Beatrix caught the brunette and shook her head. Something was wrong . . . The sorcerer they had known for so long seemed beyond anger . . .  
  
"DRAKJA!!!"  
  
Flames burst forth at the man's feet, blowing his coffee-brown hair off his face and forcing him to step backwards slightly, singing the hem of his cloak. The fire twisted into the air, gave a dying gasp, and vanished leaving a table-sized scorch-mark on the road. The man stared at it, then looked back up.  
  
"Ah, the first angel of death," he acknowledged, making a low sweeping bow with much twirling of the hand, the locks of his hair nearly touching the ground. "What an honor . . ."  
  
"Shut up!" Kuja shouted, eyes narrowing. Another explosion of flames erupted at Drakja's feet. However, his time the green-eyed man was ready and he deflected the pyre with a simple gesture.  
  
"Temper, temper," he mocked, hands on his hips. "We wouldn't want you to accidentally light any of your charming friends here on fire,"  
  
"Don't . . . TOUCH THEM!!!" Kuja screamed. A fierce wind circled his body, lifting his ivory hair off his back and making him look truly like an angel of death. Below, Megan dropped to her knees, clutching desperately at Beatrix's cloak.  
  
"What's . . . happening . . .?" she sobbed, staring up at the warlock. "Where did he get all this power?" Beatrix said nothing. Megan mustn't know . . .  
  
Drakja was glancing at the woman next to him, smirking. They distinctly heard him whisper "Don't worry, Lulian. This ought to be easy . . ." and then stepped forward to face the silver-haired genome. Lulian was watching Kuja with extreme interest etched in her emerald-green eyes.  
  
"So!" Drakja yelled up at Kuja, voice sharp with a rather supercilious tone. "You're STILL alive. Bravo . . . I commend you," he gave a very unenthusiastic applause. Kuja's eyes narrowed dangerously, resembling sharpened blades.  
  
"Be quiet, Drakja!" he shouted back, floating down a few feet, tail thrashing angrily. "I don't know HOW the hell you got here but you'd better leave NOW!"  
  
This seemed to go in one ear and out the other. Drakja chuckled. "Who died and made YOU boss?!" he snapped, raising an eyebrow. Kuja smirked.  
  
"THAT can be left up for debate!"  
  
Drakja glanced at Zidane. Then back at Kuja. So suddenly that it made everyone start, the man burst into laughter, leaning over and clutching his sides, tears rolling down his cheeks. A chill breeze blew through the circle as everyone watched him. Was this guy insane? After the spasm had passed, Drakja straightened, wiping his eyes on his sleeve, still chuckling.  
  
"Can you believe this?!" he shouted at Lulian, pointing a finger at Kuja. "They're together! Fighting side by side! This whole world's flopped upside-down, I swear!"  
  
Lulian folded her arms over her chest, still looking up at Kuja. "Drakja . . ." she whispered, tilting her head to the side. "Be careful . . . Something about this doesn't seem right . . ."  
  
Drakja snorted, looking offended. "You think I can't take him on? He's the SECOND BEST! Remember?!"  
  
Kuja shook with wrath, eyes flashing to red again. The aura around his body seemed to flare slightly as he clenched his fingers into fists at his side.  
  
"How DARE you!" he shrieked, sparks crackling near his hands. "I ought to rip your lungs out right NOW, you piece of crap! I will never forgive you for what you did to me! And I will NEVER forget about it!"  
  
Drakja laughed, rising slowly into the air as well. "Is that so? Well then, we'll just have to settle the score, won't we?"  
  
Kuja growled lightly. "Too right, you are . . ."  
  
All eyes were raised, watching as Kuja and Drakja floated across from one another, high above the rubble of Alexandria. Those below could practically feel the electricity crackling between the two, charging them up for battle. The orbit of green-eyed humans making up the circle were all shifting around excitedly, preparing for the fight of a life-time. Lulian, on the other hand, seemed very uneasy and Ummei kept glancing back at the ship and wringing his fingers with nerves.  
  
Regent Cid was standing so stiffly that when Quina poked him in the back of the head, his patience snapped like a piece of frozen rope. He whipped around furiously, fists clenched. "What, Quina?! What?!"  
  
Quina stuck a finger up in the air, pointing at Drakja overhead. "That man look like Zidane!" he exclaimed, bouncing up and down slightly. Regent Cid sputtered with annoyance.  
  
"What are you talking about?! They look nothing a - WHAT THE HELL?!!"  
  
The regent saw it for the first time . . . Snaking out from beneath Drakja's cloak was a long, silky, umber-brown tail. Cid gasped and spun around to stare at the circle of people. They all had one! It had been impossible to spot in the clump before, but now - now it was so obvious! Beneath Lulian's dress, a tail skimmed along the ground, brushing up against the street. Ummei was standing on his.  
  
"Zidane!" the regent shouted. "Zidane, do you - "  
  
"I know . . ." the genome muttered, resting his chin in Garnet's hair, eyes on his brother. "They all do,"  
  
Everyone knew. And it only added to their mounting confusion.  
  
Meanwhile . . .  
  
Kuja glared at Drakja. Drakja simply smirked. Neither of them made a move. Several tense moments passed. Then . . .  
  
With a cry, Kuja's palm shot straight out, a burst of magical energy blasting forth from seemingly nowhere. Drakja flew out of the way, dodging it, and sent a blast of flames in Kuja's direction. The silver-haired genome deflected it with a barrier, nearly hitting its original conjurer.  
  
The battle had begun . . .  
  
Kuja lunged forward, smashing his opponent hard in the chest and blasting him with a Thundara at the same time. Drakja tumbled down several feet but recovered quickly and summoned a powerful black orb in his hands. He hurled it at Kuja who, caught unawares, got hit full force. The genome screamed in agony, consumed in a haze of dark mist. Everyone below gasped, shocked at the outcome of events so far. Suddenly, however, Kuja's eyes flashed blood crimson once more and the smog seemed to evaporate off his body. Drakja did not seem to have expected this and flew back a yard or so, getting into a defensive stance.  
  
Kuja turned slowly to face his adversary, the curious aura of light silhouetting him once more.  
  
"Give it up!" Drakja yelled, laughing. "You can't beat me! And you know it! It's not a matter of experience, it's a matter of 'I was born this way!'"  
  
This seemed to make Kuja even more outraged than before. With a sudden burst of speed that caused the air to snap behind him, Kuja shot forward, punching Drakja so hard he was knocked with a smash into the street below. The ground cracked, dust billowing into the air. Lulian shrieked, hands over her mouth.  
  
"Drakja!"  
  
But Drakja rose triumphant, seeming perfectly unharmed save his clothes being a bit smashed up.  
  
"Nice one!" he commented, looking up at his wrathful opponent. Kuja lowered down into the street as well, boots lightly hitting the pavement. The circle de-clumped slightly, spreading out so as to make the perimeter wider. Kuja and Drakja were now in the middle, staring each other down as they moved into fighting stance. They would continue on the ground . . .  
  
Drakja charged, aiming a right hook straight between Kuja's eyes. Kuja bent sideways, avoiding the attack, and grabbed Drakja's fist, hurling the villain out of the way like a rag-doll. Drakja skidded backward, landing on his back, and blasted a Flare at the first angel of death. Just as Kuja was blocking the attack with a barrier, Drakja pounced and knocked the genome to the ground with a thud. They clawed angrily at each other before Kuja kicked out furiously; what should have been a devastating blow.  
  
But Drakja vanished! Gone! One second he'd been there and the next, he wasn't! Kuja leapt to his feet, looking around wildly. Suddenly . . .  
  
"HiYA!!!" Drakja materialized out of nowhere and kicked Kuja in the back of the knees, knocking his feet out from under him. The sorcerer fell down hard, the wind escaping from his lungs so fast his head swam. Megan wailed, not daring to watch. No one spoke. After a moment, Kuja rose shakily, breathing hard. Drakja shoved him back down mercilessly, a simpering smirk etched on his pale lips.  
  
"Just stop now, kid," he drawled, blowing a strand of hair out of his eyes. "You know you're going to lose . . ."  
  
". . . Never . . ." Kuja hissed. He stood up again, wincing in pain. His eyes were back to their usual glacial blue. Drakja yawned and smacked Kuja across the face, stunning him sideways. The warlock dropped to his knees, groaning.  
  
Kuja wasn't even aware of what was going on. Drakja was rambling on about something overhead . . . he wasn't sure what . . . The genome's eyes closed. A drop of blood rolled out of his hair and down his cheek. In the distance, he could hear Garnet whimpering; her foot caught beneath a boulder. It seemed to spark something inside of him. And the rushing feeling began . . .  
  
His mind was gone; a haze seemed to cloud the insides of his skull. There were voices whispering in his mind. He shuddered.  
  
Drakja sighed, glancing over at Lulian. "You see? What did I tell you? Piece - o - cake,"  
  
/Flash/  
  
That insolent whelp . . . Now I can finish him off!  
  
/Flash/  
  
Ice blue eyes flashed to spurting blood red . . . Constriction . . . And freedom . . .  
  
Magical energy erupted from Kuja's body with such force that the circle of onlookers were thrown off their feet. He whipped around, grabbed Drakja, and smashed him into a nearby building, nearly breaking its foundation. Drakja cried out, blood running down his face, and desperately tried to lunge at his opponent. Kuja socked him into the dirt, kicking him hard in the side. Drakja let out a scream of pain, fumbling for a way out. Megan escaped Beatrix's grip and leapt to her feet, tears streaming out from behind her glasses.  
  
"FEATHER!!!"  
  
A gasp escaped Kuja's lips. There was a roaring in his ears.  
  
/Flash/  
  
I just needed to borrow the power from wretched souls that cannot die . . . The souls trapped inside the Invincible welcomed me with open arms. They were fed up with being your prisoners, Garland . . .  
  
/Flash/  
  
Everything came back into focus so fast it caused Kuja to stumble backwards with a start. Immediately, he knew he was in trouble. Drakja was trembling with inexplicable rage and breathing hard when he stood up. The green-eyed man lunged forward, shoving Kuja mercilessly to the road. Kuja thrust out a hand, fingers wrapping tightly around Drakja's throat. The brunette choked, eyes wide, and suddenly there was an opal-studded dagger clenched between his fingers, poised and ready to attack. They struggled for several moments, shouts arising from the spectators nearby, before a deep, bone-rattling voice floated into the ring, ceasing all action whatsoever.  
  
". . . Stop . . ."  
  
Kuja suddenly felt that uncontrollable weakness and nausea that he'd been experiencing before. His fingers slipped from Drakja's throat as his arm fell like an useless strand of spaghetti at his side. His whole body went limp. He lay there, gasping for breath, as someone floated down next to him, a smile so wide on their face that Kuja could actually feel it.  
  
"Get off of him, Drakja! He can't hurt you right now!"  
  
Drakja rolled off of his adversary, crouching upon the ground, chest heaving. He unceremoniously used one of his sleeves to wipe away a trickle of blood leaking from his nose and his emerald eyes became wracked with disgust. He threw a glare at Kuja but received nothing in return. The sorcerer was fighting to remain conscious . . .  
  
"It can't be . . .!" Freya gasped, lowering her spear in horror. The entire crew was staring at the newcomer, eyes as big as dinner plates.  
  
"I - Impossible!" Steiner wheezed, shaking his head as if sure that would cure him of the horrible sight.  
  
"I thought that man dead!" Quina exclaimed, surprisingly understanding of the seriousness of the situation.  
  
In the street, Kuja stirred, body shuddering. ". . . Garland . . ." he rasped, struggling to keep his eyes open. "You . . . no . . ."  
  
But there he stood, black cape swelling in the wind, colorless eyes crinkled with wicked joy. He stared down his pointed nose at Drakja, smirking with delight.  
  
"You fool," he teased, folding his arms over his chest as the red orb in his armor glowed dimly in the afternoon sunshine. "How could you possibly think that MY creation wouldn't go down without a fight?! He may be worthless, but he's still as powerful as hell!"  
  
Drakja spat blood onto the street, wiping his mouth furiously with one hand. "WELL," he snapped, not daring to stand up in the presence of a Terran leader. "A certain SOMEONE told me they were blocking a certain genome's powers!"  
  
Garland burst into laughter, shaking out his frail, gray hair. "I was!" he asserted, face twisting into a devilish grin. "But I was curious as to how you would fare against him when his FULL power is unleashed,"  
  
"Full power?! THAT was his full power?!"  
  
Garland glanced at Kuja, who had managed to roll onto his side, eyes boring into his creator with exhausted rage. "Well, it's hard to say what that was, actually," Garland explained, shrugging. "I think you know what I mean . . ."  
  
Drakja nodded numbly, pulling himself slowly to his feet. Garland glanced around the circle, then at the pile of dirt that had once been fine Alexandrian architecture.  
  
"Not bad," he commented, beginning to walk away. "That's enough for the moment. Now, we must plan for the future . . ."  
  
Drakja obediently followed his master, head hung low. Occasionally, his fingers would grope near the red weapon tacked to his sheathe, however, he refrained from actually turning around and blowing everyone to smithereens.  
  
The circle of tailed beings slowly began to unwind and shadow behind their masters, all filing along like circus fleas. They were all going into the ship. When everyone inside and the door was slammed shut, the strange, Invincible-like device rumbled. The engine roared like a raging elephant and its wings stretched out gracefully like a bird. The ship took off slowly into the air, vanishing amidst the cottony clouds.  
  
The others watched it go, all too stunned to speak. Suddenly, Garnet let out a gasp of pain and shocked everyone back into reality. Zidane bit his lip, turning to his fiancé. Acting as if nothing had happened, he asked Amarant and Steiner to assist him in lifting the boulder off the queen's leg. Meanwhile, Zidane had the others go see what they could do with his brother.  
  
Megan was the first at Kuja's side, eyes wide with fear behind her lenses. "Oh my god! Oh my god! He's gonna die, I know it!" she burst into a fresh wave of tears. Freya snorted, rolling her eyes.  
  
Tentatively, Beatrix lifted one of Kuja's delicate wrists, frowning. "He's not dead, Megan," she stated, trying to comfort the young woman. "I don't know what happened to be quite frank. Something about . . . that man . . . had some strange effect on him. Besides, I'm sure that battle drained him of a lot of energy. He could've just overexerted from the fight!"  
  
Meanwhile, the boulder was successfully removed from Garnet's leg. It actually seemed quite well, considering. However, it was obvious that she'd be off her feet for awhile. Steiner lifted her majesty gently into his arms, carrying her up to the castle to find Dr. Tot. Zidane stood up and went over to his brother, looking lost in thought.  
  
"Blocking powers, eh . . .?" he muttered to himself. "Interesting . . . Very interesting . . ."  
  
Vivi looked up nervously. "What . . .?"  
  
"Nothing . . . Let's just get him back to the castle. Maybe Tot can do something for him . . ." there were some murmurs of assent and everyone began to head in the direction of Alexandria Castle.  
  
"Zidane," Beatrix whispered off to the side, scooping Kuja gently into her arms. "I think something's wrong. We have to talk . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: Oh snap, that was hard to write! I couldn't keep everything straight! If ya'll though my writing wasn't up to tab in this chapter, just let me know. It'll make the waits longer but it's a small price to pay for good writing. Thanks a bunch ^_^  
  
Review . . . weiveR  
  
~~~~~~~~ Black Mage Dad ~~~~~~~  
  
P.S. That was my longest chapter yet! It was REAAAAAAALY LONG ;-) 


	15. A Story of Terra

A/N: Yo, I'm back and I'm revealin' plot! Yay! We're finally going to learn all about "stuff" in this chapter ^_^ And I'm just gonna tell you now, your brain will be overloaded by the time you're done reading this. And it gets really complicated too. Some of the stuff from the previous chapter will finally make sense but some of it will become even MORE confusing! *Cackles with glee at the thought of torturing her readers* But that's what makes this SOOOOO much fun! And this is now officially my NEW longest chapter, beating the other by more than THREE whole pages! Booyah! Anyhow, enjoy. And don't get a headache ;-)  
  
Disclaimer: Not (adv.): In no way; to no degree. That is my extent of owning Final Fantasy. I DON'T!!!  
  
P.S. I may reveal a LOT of plot in this chapter, but I certainly don't reveal ALL of it (if you can believe that after reading this).  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it."  
  
- George Santayana  
  
"And you say they just took off? Didn't try to finish the job they'd started or anything?"  
  
Garnet nodded as Dr. Tot wound the last of the bandage around the queen's leg, looped it into a large knot to hold, and threw in a small spell to keep it from hurting too much. The bird-like man stood slowly, surveying his handiwork, and then went off to the side to wash his hands.  
  
"Don't you find that a bit strange?" he queried, twisting the stubborn faucets to get the right temperature. Garnet shrugged.  
  
"Maybe their initial intent wasn't to destroy Alexandria," she offered, rubbing at her sore appendage with disdain.  
  
"Don't scratch at that - But yes, that's exactly what I was thinking. Perhaps that attack on Alexandria was nothing but a setup," Tot turned the water off and wiped his feathered hands on a towel. Garnet's eyes were boring into the back of his head.  
  
"What do you mean, a setup? A setup for what?"  
  
Dr. Tot looked thoughtful. "Perhaps . . . But then again that can't be right . . . Of course, maybe if the circumstances were - "  
  
"Tot, you're rambling again,"  
  
"Wha - ? Oh, dear me," the old scholar pulled off his glasses and wiped them on his handkerchief, blushing through his feathers. "Ah, how the aging mind wanders . . ."  
  
Garnet was feeling rather nervous. Whenever her old teacher began talking to himself like that it usually meant he had stumbled upon an idea. And his ideas were usually right.  
  
"What circumstances?" she asked, hands itching to scratch at her bandages again. "What are you talking about?"  
  
Tot smiled warmly, holding out an arm to help her majesty out of the chair. She accepted, though her eyes were still impatient.  
  
"I was just thinking," he said, shrugging. "But it's hard to say. I would've had to have been there,"  
  
"But why?"  
  
Tot laughed, helping Garnet balance on her one good leg. "Just ignore me. Don't worry yourself with the thoughts of a worn-out old geezer. Now hurry along, I've got some thinking to do,"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Zidane!"  
  
Ruby ran as fast as she could down the bustling Alexandrian street, waving her arms furiously as she tried to get the attention of the boy walking down the road ahead of her. She bumped into a traveling red mage who shouted "Watch where you're goin' bitch!" but didn't give him the satisfaction of a response.  
  
"Zidane, ya ol' ragamuffin! Wait fer me!"  
  
She skidded to a halt, leaning over to catch her breath as Zidane turned around, acting as if he'd just noticed the girl screaming his name from three feet away.  
  
"Hey, Ruby," he greeted, smirking as the actress straightened her bonnet. "What's up?"  
  
"Tha's what I'D like ta know!" Ruby snapped, poking Zidane in the arm. "What da heck was up widdat whole evacuation of Alexandria?! Who was shootin' at us?! I was in da middle of a gosh darn performance!"  
  
Zidane allowed Ruby to blow off some steam before responding, arms folded over his chest until she relented.  
  
"Ruby, we were under fire. Would you rather we'd left you to die?"  
  
"No! But I wanna know who was attackin' us!"  
  
Zidane raised an eyebrow. "And what makes you think I know?"  
  
"Because yer engaged to da QUEEN! DUH!!!"  
  
"Oh . . . Well . . ." the genome quickly searched his brain for some kind of excuse to give the ex-Tantalus thief.  
  
"I THOUGHT da war was over!" Ruby continued to vent, nose crinkled as she ranted.  
  
Zidane laughed. "Of course it's over!"  
  
"Well, seein' as how yer gosh-darnit brother is back, seems anythin' could happen 'round here . . ."  
  
Zidane stiffened immediately. "And what's THAT supposed to mean?"  
  
Ruby quickly averted her eyes, blushing. "Honest, Zidane," she said. "I ain't got nothin' 'gainst yer brother . . . I mean, technically, he didn' personally do nothin' ta me . . . It's just . . ."  
  
"Just what?"  
  
"Well . . ." Ruby shifted uncomfortably, hands clasped behind her back. "It's just that yer brother seems ta 'tract a lotta trouble. Tha's all . . ."  
  
Zidane's frown showed clearly that he wasn't satisfied with the response. Ruby sighed heavily and continued.  
  
"I'm sure he's a nice guy!" she stated, nodding curtly. "But I don' wan' y'all ta get hurt er nothin' . . . I like you people!"  
  
Zidane sighed, looking away from his friend. He knew what she meant. But at the same time, he didn't want his brother to get hurt. When Beatrix had first arrested Kuja, Zidane could tell immediately that the sorcerer wanted nothing more than to leave the castle. But after yesterday it had become fairly apparent that perhaps that was not the wisest path to choose.  
  
"Zidane?"  
  
The genome thought it was Ruby at first but when he turned around he saw Megan with a finger poised to tap him on the shoulder. Ruby was staring at the newcomer with intense curiosity.  
  
"Oh, hey Megan," Zidane attempted a smile but it turned more into a grimace.  
  
"The queen says she wants you back at the castle," Megan said simply, looking around the busy street as people wandered by. The chatter was starting to turn into a single buzzing drone.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"To discuss . . . you know . . ."  
  
"Ah. I see," Zidane sighed heavily, patting Ruby on the shoulder. "Tell her I'll be there in a minute,"  
  
Megan nodded and walked off, fingering her horse-necklace as she did so. She still seemed rather disturbed by the events of the previous day. She kept looking over her shoulder as if expecting someone to sneak up and stab her in the back.  
  
"Well, see ya Ruby," Zidane mumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets. He would have given anything not to have to discuss the events of yesterday. Ruby looked rather peeved but said goodbye as well.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Zidane could hear muttering coming from the dining room.  
  
/Guess that's where I should go, then . . ./  
  
He began to round the corner when someone grabbed his wrist and tugged him back hard. Zidane was about to shout when Beatrix whipped the blonde around and gave him a glare of pure disgust.  
  
"Oh. Beatrix. I-It's you . . ."  
  
"Shh!" the general hissed, pressing a finger to her lip. "We've got to talk. Technically, we're not supposed to discuss this without her majesty, but . . ."  
  
"No, no. That's okay," Zidane smiled nervously. "I understand . . . So . . . What's up?"  
  
Beatrix exhaled heavily, shaking her head. "Listen," she whispered. "I think something is seriously wrong. I doubt it's going to come up in your little 'conversation' in the other room, but - "  
  
"What makes you think it's not going to come up?"  
  
Beatrix shuffled her feet, flipping a curl of hair over her shoulder. "Well, I don't really think the others care much about the welfare of your brother. And that's what I'm concerned about. Have you noticed anything strange about him?"  
  
Zidane raised a curious eyebrow. "Like what?"  
  
"Like . . . the lack of magic, or the extreme exhaustion all the time, or - "  
  
"The red eyes? The split second disorientation he gets occasionally? How he collapsed when you tried to arrest him? The fact that he - "  
  
"Yes, yes, all those things,"  
  
"Of course I've noticed! He's my brother!"  
  
"And?" Beatrix leaned forward, her single eye flashing in the dim lighting of the hallway. "Aren't you going to ask him about it?"  
  
Zidane scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably. "Well . . . I guess I could . . . But maybe I should ask that Megan girl about it first,"  
  
Beatrix snorted. "Give me a break! If she hasn't noticed THAT then she REALLY needs to up the prescription of those glasses,"  
  
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Zidane admitted. "Maybe I'll bring it up while I'm talking to the others,"  
  
"Good idea. Now let's hurry or this will look suspicious,"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The second Ummei opened the door to the boiler-room dungeon, Mikoto leapt up; forgetting that she was still shackled to the pipe. The blonde was yanked back down with such force that Ummei actually looked concerned.  
  
"You all right?" he asked, chewing on one of his fingernails. Mikoto looked wild.  
  
"Is he okay?!" she shouted, struggling against her bonds once more. "Please tell me they haven't done it yet!"  
  
When Ummei cast her a sad look, her stomach dropped down into the floor. "Oh god . . . They didn't . . .! They couldn't have!"  
  
"Actually, they didn't," Ummei admitted, scratching his head. Mikoto breathed a sigh of relief and leaned back against the warm pipe.  
  
"Then why the face?" she queried. "You look like someone's died,"  
  
Ummei said nothing as he backed up and slid down the side of the room, gritting his teeth. Mikoto blinked, and then let out a faint cry.  
  
"Ummei, there's blood all over the wall!"  
  
The green-eyed man groaned, raising his eyes to look up at the structure behind him. A long smear of crimson was splashed along the metal where he had slid. He shut his eyes tight in pain and muttered something. All Mikoto caught was ". . . whipped again . . ."  
  
The genome gasped. "What?! Why?!"  
  
Ummei let out an agonizing grimace. "Because the stupid idiot got his ass kicked, that's why!"  
  
"But . . . how does that get you a whipping?"  
  
Ummei wiped his mouth furiously on his sleeve. "I was supposed to be his backup . . ."  
  
"Backup for what?"  
  
"The Master fighting you're older brother!"  
  
"He fought Kuja?!" Mikoto clapped her shackled hands over her mouth, horrified. "That's terrible!"  
  
"Yeah, well, your brother beat the shit out of him,"  
  
A chuckle escaped the genome's lips. "Naturally. Kuja is an expert at sorcery. He could kill you with one hand tied behind his back,"  
  
Ummei smiled wryly. "Well, you obviously don't know Drakja, then. Let's just say he's got some tricks up his sleeve that don't require ANY hands,"  
  
Mikoto snorted, rolling her eyes. "Sure . . . My brother's the first angel of death! You can't beat THAT except maybe Zidane!"  
  
Ummei's pale green eyes lolled onto his prisoner, swirled with such heart- wrenching sadness that it made Mikoto's stomach melt like butter.  
  
"There is more to The Master than meets the eye . . ." he whispered, eyes locked onto the genome's. "And though he and Kuja - by twist of fate - are evenly matched, the fight has proven something to Drakja's master that will completely change your brother's destiny in our hands,"  
  
". . . And what is that . . .?" Mikoto asked tentatively, her voice so quiet she barely heard it herself.  
  
Ummei pulled his knees into his chest, tail curling around his ankle.  
  
"The first angel of death may harbor more than just his own. And that's exactly what will make our conquest worth twice as much . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
When Zidane entered the dining room, Beatrix was already there. Somehow, she had zipped around to another entrance before him.  
  
/Impressive . . ./ Zidane thought, smiling inwardly.  
  
"Hi, Zidane!" Eiko called cheerfully, kicking her legs as she sat in her seat. Lady Hilda gave her a warning look.  
  
"Settle down, settle down," she crooned, though smiling. Garnet was resting her elbows on the table in a most un-queen-like fashion, her eyes dark and heavy. Everyone else was seated around the table, looking rather lost in thought.  
  
As Zidane pulled up a seat across the table from Garnet, his eyes caught a lack of something in the room. "Hey, where's Megan?" he asked, glancing over his shoulder.  
  
"We didn't think it appropriate that she be here," Garnet explained, gazing at the far wall. "After all, she really has nothing to do with this matter,"  
  
Zidane didn't find that morally correct at all, seeing as how Megan nearly had her head blown off the day before. However, he kept his mouth shut. He also didn't mention that Kuja wasn't there. Somehow, it just didn't seem fitting to bring up.  
  
"So . . ."  
  
"Um, why are we here?" Vivi asked tentatively, glancing around the table. There was a moment of silence.  
  
"To discuss yesterday, of course," Beatrix stated.  
  
More silence.  
  
"What about it?!" Lani blurted out, slamming her fists on the table. "We all saw it! A bunch of freaky look-alike people came out of a big freakin' ship and their stupid leader tried to kill us all! Then HIS - " Lani pointed a finger down the table at Zidane. " - brother beat the guy silly! There. Simple,"  
  
"If only it were," Garnet muttered, looking exhausted. "But we must also bare in mind that we saw someone there who is supposed to be dead,"  
  
All eyes whipped onto Zidane, making him feel as if he were being machine- gunned into the back of his chair. He glared at his companions furiously.  
  
"What?! What are you all looking at ME for?!"  
  
Freya sighed, looking sympathetically at the genome. "Well, he IS your creator, Zidane. I guess we just figured you would have known,"  
  
Zidane felt a bubbling wrath in the back of his eyes and he shoved his chair back, jumping to his feet. "How in the name of Odin would I have known that jerk-off was back?! I have absolutely NOTHING to do with him and I NEVER WILL!!!"  
  
"Please Zidane," Garnet whimpered, gazing sadly at her fiancé. "Settle down. We know you hate him - we all do! But please, let's just talk about this rationally. I'm sure there's a logical explanation for all of this. Sit,"  
  
Zidane sat. He still felt angry but refrained from speaking as Garnet leaned back in her chair, fingers rubbing slightly at her injured leg.  
  
"Now then," she continued. "I think it wise that we first figure out how all of this is possible,"  
  
"Yeah!" Eiko piped in, shaking a tiny fist. "I thought Garland died! Remember, Kuja kicked him off the side of that balcony and then burned down the surface of the planet! How could Garland have survived THAT?!!" she stuck out a lip as if to show her great distaste that anyone could manage to do such a thing.  
  
"But didn't he speak to Zidane during the journey through Memoria?" Beatrix queried curiously, having not been there herself.  
  
That shut everyone up.  
  
"Holy shit . . ." Zidane whispered, finding it hard to breathe. "This isn't happening . . . It can't be . . ."  
  
"M-Maybe it's not what we think," Steiner said, looking like he didn't believe it himself. "I mean, he HELPED us in Memoria! Maybe . . ."  
  
"You saw it, didn't you?" Amarant snapped, arms folded over his chest. His voice was so rarely heard that he immediately had the group's undivided attention. "That old bozo was clearly against us. You heard him. He loved the sight of Alexandria in ruins. What's more, he seemed to find nothing more wonderful than the sight of his first Angel of Death lying half-dead in the street. So YOU tell ME whose side he's on . . ."  
  
/Speaking of Kuja . . ./ Zidane thought to himself. /Maybe I should bring up - / his thoughts were cut off abruptly by the very person in his mind entering the room. Kuja strode in, silvery hair flowing out behind him, deep blue eyes not making eye-contact with anybody nearby. Zidane couldn't explain what it was, but somehow he got the impression that Kuja may have either been lifted or dropped down a few notches in the eyes of the others.  
  
"Sorry to keep you waiting," the sorcerer muttered, pulling up the only empty chair (placed between Vivi and Lady Hilda) and sitting down with his seemingly unlimited ethereal grace. As if to accentuate this, he flipped his long ivory locks over his shoulder and let out a small sigh.  
  
Nobody spoke.  
  
/So Kuja WAS allowed to come./ Zidane noted quietly. /Then Megan is the only one left out of this . . . That's kinda unfair . . ./  
  
Vivi shifted uncomfortably. He still didn't seem too keen about being near his creator yet. Lady Hilda didn't even acknowledge that anything had changed.  
  
"What did I miss?" Kuja queried, looking around for the first time. "Anything important?"  
  
"Just discussing how Garland could still be alive . . ." Garnet said slowly, staring at the first angel of death rather bitterly. Kuja let out a "hmph" of disgust and shook his head.  
  
"Pretty sick, isn't it?"  
  
A glacier seemed to be forming over the table. No one dared to breathe. Suddenly . . .  
  
"I CAN'T TAKE IT!" Freya screamed, slamming her fists down on the table and jumping up. "HOW CAN WE PUT UP WITH THIS?! WITH HIM?!" she rounded on Kuja who simply stared calmly back, perhaps even with a bit of determination. "YOU KNEW ABOUT THIS ALL ALONG! DIDN'T YOU?! DIDN'T YOU?!!!"  
  
"Of course not . . ." Kuja murmured, looking down at the table. He seemed to be avoiding the Burmecian's glare now. But in a thoughtful way. Not as if he'd been defeated. Zidane felt a pang of guilt over the whole thing.  
  
"DON'T - LIE!" Freya raged, pointing an accusing finger at the warlock. "IT WOULD BE SO LIKE YOU TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS!"  
  
"I swear I never . . ."  
  
"I KNEW WE COULDN'T TRUST HIM! I KNEW IT, I - "  
  
"Freya, sit down," said Fratley calmly, eyes shut out of sheer weariness. Freya trembled for a moment, her eyes burning holes deep into Kuja's soul. Said Kuja kept his own eyes averted, a quiet, contemplating look on his face. Beatrix felt she should step in.  
  
"Please, Freya. We'll get nothing accomplished if we're all pitted against one another,"  
  
"SO YOU'RE CALLING HIM AN ALLY NOW?!" the dragoon knight shrieked, a wild look in her eyes as she whipped around on the general.  
  
"Freya, I'm begging you," Fratley whispered, clasping one of her hands in his own. He was silently pleading. He didn't seem to know how to convey the message to the knight. Freya stared at their hands a moment, shaking with inexplicable rage.  
  
"Please . . ."  
  
Freya nodded slowly and sat back in her chair, hat falling down over her eyes. A mental sigh of relief ran across the group of people. Kuja remained perfectly stationary. Finally, he spoke.  
  
"I don't know how Garland managed to survive, but . . ." his voice faded off, becoming so soft they had to lean in to hear it. ". . . I will help you defeat him if you wish . . ."  
  
Zidane tried to hide his smile. /Thank Shiva . . ./  
  
"But how can we trust him?!" Lani inquired, resting an elbow on the table. Kuja glanced at her quietly, eyes swirling with distaste. Zidane seized the opportunity.  
  
"If Kuja were on our side," he said brightly. "We could beat Garland easily! We did it once with his help! Why not again?"  
  
All the glares, thought meant for Zidane, seemed magnetically focused on Kuja. The silver-haired genome glanced around at them all as if to say "what're you lookin' at ME for?"  
  
"Kuja IS powerful," Cid admitted, frowning. He ignored the "What am I? Dog-meat?" thrown at him from the sorcerer and continued on. "Perhaps if we can all learn to trust each other . . ."  
  
Most eyes seemed to convey the message "never" but no one voiced their opinion.  
  
"That WAS some powerful fighting he used," Garnet complied. "I mean," she turned to Kuja. "How did you melt off that strange shadow-attack that man threw at you?"  
  
"What shadow-attack?"  
  
Garnet raised an eyebrow. "That black orb. You were hit and then all the smoke evaporated right off your body. Remember?"  
  
Kuja's eyes went completely blank. Garnet crinkled her brow nervously.  
  
"You . . . You don't remember . . .?" Kuja just shook his head. Now it was everyone else's turn to look blank.  
  
"Do you remember ANYTHING?" Lady Hilda queried, tilting her head inquiringly. Kuja chuckled.  
  
"Of course!" he exclaimed. "Drakja and I fought. So?"  
  
"But . . ." Garnet looked around as if trying to gather support. "What about . . ." understanding suddenly dawned in her eyes. She leaned forward, staring hard at the silver-haired man. "What about when you knocked Drakja - or whatever his name is - down into the street? Do you remember that?"  
  
Kuja looked thoughtful for a moment, then shook his head. "No, actually. I guess I don't. I have some vague recollection of . . . but it's all kind of smoggy,"  
  
Garnet seemed rather tense as if this were all confirming something in her mind. "What about when you blew the ring of people off their feet?"  
  
"Er . . . I did . . .?"  
  
"What about when you smashed Drakja into the building?"  
  
Kuja scratched his head. "I . . . I know I must've, but . . ."  
  
Beatrix's eye widened as she comprehended what Garnet was trying to say. "Kuja!" she gasped, clapping a hand over her mouth. "You can't remember anything that happened during the times when your eyes were - "  
  
"Red," Amarant muttered, nodding.  
  
"Hey, sh-she's right!" Vivi exclaimed in surprise.  
  
Kuja looked around in confusion. "What do you mean 'when my eyes were red?'"  
  
"Your eyes turned red sometimes," Zidane said. "It was really weird. You couldn't have been trancing, could you?"  
  
"I-I don't think so . . ."  
  
They all cast nervous looks at each other. Something fishy was definitely going on.  
  
"Hey, Kuja," Zidane said suddenly. "How do you know those green-eyed people?"  
  
Everyone leaned in excitedly. They'd all been wondering the exact same thing. Kuja felt a sinking feeling in his stomach.  
  
/The last thing I wanted to discuss . . ./  
  
He glanced up at the expectant eyes of the others. So hopeful . . . They HAD to know. It was life or death this time.  
  
"I think we should be asking WHAT they are," Cid commented. The group nodded in agreement. Kuja sighed, leaning back in his chair.  
  
/Where to start . . . where to start . . ./  
  
"Actually," he said. "It's EXTREMELY important that you know what those people are. It could determine who lives and who dies in this war," Vivi gulped immediately and straightened his hat. Kuja continued. "What I'm about to tell you may come as a surprise," he said. "But I'm going to try and explain it as best as I can. I really don't know very much, actually," he paused and took a deep breath, shutting his eyes as he recalled as much of the detail as he could.  
  
"Well," the warlock began. "This all begins on Terra, a long, long time before even I was born. As you know, Terra was once a thriving civilization. Their advances in technology were quite startling and they evolved at a distressing rate. Soon, however, cities began to 'specialize' in their technology. One city trained exclusively in cloning, another in nuclear weapons, and so on. Naturally, this led to mounting tensions between the Terrans. War broke out almost immediately. From some of the cities - I don't know which - great warriors stepped forth, standing out amongst the rest. Their magical abilities far outweighed that of any of the other soldiers and they became heroes to be revered or feared by all of Terra," Kuja paused, waiting for someone to blurt out what all this had to do with the events of the previous day. However, when no one spoke, he continued. "The people of Bran Bal, though small in number, were perhaps some of the wisest of all Terrans. They saw that the death of the planet was inevitable and immediately chose to prepare for it, rather than fight. You know most of the preparations already: the underground labs, the cryogenic chambers, and, of course, the creation of Garland . . . Garland was fascinated by these warriors who fought so valiantly for their beliefs on Terra, and he noted these people quite closely. But one day, whether by coincidence or fate, all the cities of Terra planned a nuclear bombing of their nearest enemy. Garland hid in the underground labs of Bran Bal and waited it out. All at once, every city detonated their bomb. All civilization on Terra was annihilated. Not a soul remained except Garland and a select few who had hid with him. Everyone above-ground died either from the blasts, the radiation, or the six-hundred year nuclear winter that followed. All that remained on Terra were a few stunted trees and a handful of monsters that emerged from the expulsion of Mist that followed. When Garland thought it safe to return of the surface of the planet, it was then that his brilliant plan to restore Terra came to life. His first attempts were by reviving the cryogenically frozen people below. Barely any even survived the shock. This left Garland in a nasty pickle. That was when the idea came to him to create beings to revive Terra. And that was when Garland created the first remakes of Terran civilization. But they weren't genomes. No, no, Garland hadn't figured that out yet. Instead, he tried to remake people after the most powerful beings he had ever met. First, he picked some of the greatest magicians he had witnessed and genetically altered them. Those became the four guardian of Terra. Then he chose the warrior he had thought was the most powerful and created a whole race of people to be just like him. But back then, Garland simply created bodies and then tampered with their DNA to make them more like the soldier. This meant that all the creations had similar traits but were still distinguishable in appearance. I don't know whether Garland gave them souls right away or not, but they eventually had varying personalities and strengths as well. Garland called these people geonomes. Once again, I don't know why. Garland never even woke them up before he realized the mistake he'd made. If the geonomes were more powerful than him, then they would be uncontrollable and thus useless. So Garland sealed them away and began his next great idea . . ."  
  
"Genomes," Zidane muttered bitterly, eyes narrowed. "Of course . . . This is all starting to make sense,"  
  
Garnet shushed him and nodded to Kuja. "Continue,"  
  
Kuja cleared his throat and nodded, trying to remember where he'd left off. "Ah, right, well, like Zidane said, the genomes were made next, created to be like one of the other great soldiers, only one that was not nearly as powerful. And, as you are all aware, Garland didn't give them souls and he made each one practically identical save male and female. They were much more controllable and a lot easier to use. But their powers were nothing like that of the geonomes and, without the gift of thought, they too were practically worthless. So Garland turned to the - in his opinion - second most powerful warrior he had ever met. This man's name was Saishoja, and his name meant 'first devil' in ancient Terran. This is ironic because the man who would later "become" the geonomes had a name that meant 'dragon devil.' The recreation of Saishoja was nearly an exact replica and Garland gave it the same name. Garland also came up with the brilliant idea of giving it a soul. What an amazing concept . . ." Kuja added dryly. "Anyhow, the new Saishoja seemed a success until it was given the soul. His body rejected it and he died within a matter of hours. There followed eight more attempts: Dainija, Daisanja, Daiyonja, Daigoja, Dairokuja, Dainanaja, and Daihachija. Dainjia's name meant 'second devil,' Daisanja's name meant 'third devil' and so forth. Every single one perished,"  
  
"But that's only seven other attempts," Fratley noted, cocking his head. Kuja nodded.  
  
"That's right. Because the ninth survived. And his name meant 'ninth devil' or, as it sounds roughly translated in Terran: Kuja,"  
  
Lani sputtered in surprise. "YOU'RE the ninth devil?!" she choked out, eyes wide. Kuja sighed and nodded, gazing up at the ceiling.  
  
"Unfortunately . . ." he mumbled. "But, as you know, I was a complete and utter failure. My soul was much too rebellious for Garland's use and he didn't think I would ever develop my powers to the extent of the geonomes. There followed Zidane and Mikoto who were simply genetically altered versions of the genomes,"  
  
"But does that mean . . ." Zidane whispered, looking strangely horrified. "That we're not really . . ."  
  
"Brothers?" Kuja queried, raising an eyebrow. Zidane nodded, too numb to speak. The sorcerer shook his head, smiling slightly. "Actually, there's a catch there. We really are,"  
  
"But how?"  
  
"Well, you see," said Kuja, still smirking a little. "When I say that you and Mikoto are genetically altered, I mean that Garland used DNA code from the first eight failed attempts at a recreation of Saishoja. You and Mikoto have a nearly identical DNA structure to me, made from the same material. We are probably a lot closer than you even realized before. Haven't you ever noticed how your hair naturally layers like mine? Or how we have a similar nose? And," Kuja smiled warmly. "You and Mikoto both have my eyes . . ."  
  
There followed a moment of silence as everyone tried to soak all this information in. But Eiko was still frowning.  
  
"But what does this have to do with those green-eyed people?!" she shouted, lacking every bit of tact she could. Kuja leaned back in his chair, biting his lip.  
  
"Well, this is where things start to get bad for us. The original inspiration for the geonomes, as you know, was the greatest warrior on the face of Terra. His name was Drakja: Dragon Devil,"  
  
"THOSE are the geonomes?!" Lani gasped. "But then - "  
  
Kuja nodded sadly. "That's right. Those green-eyed people are practically invincible. And, though I'm not sure, their leader - Drakja - may not be a genetic test-tube-baby but, in fact, the original Drakja himself reawakened from the cryogenics during the nuclear winter. But I have no idea. I'm very sketchy on those details," a scowl passed across his lips. "Actually, Drakja calls me second best for two reasons: because I was made after the second best warrior to him, and because Zidane may have been genetically altered more powerful than me. But once again, that is all a matter of Garland's opinion. We don't really know who is the strongest here,"  
  
Eiko then said the very thing that was on everyone's mind.  
  
"We . . . are doomed . . ."  
  
Kuja snorted derisively. "All I know is that Garland has woken all his geonomes and unleashed them untrained and practically unsupervised on Gaia. And they are armed with some new 'toys' apparently. Guns, armor, airships . . . The fun just doesn't end, does it? I don't know whether their lack of experience is a good thing or not, but . . ."  
  
"How do you know Drakja, then?" Zidane queried. "If they've been frozen all this time . . ."  
  
Kuja shifted uncomfortably. That topic had been strictly taboo in his mind, but now he felt he owed them an explanation. He closed his eyes for a moment, and then tried to think of the best way to explain it.  
  
"Basically," the warlock said. "I was a super rambunctious child. I enjoyed nothing more than wreaking havoc and creating mischief in Bran Bal. I probably managed to sneak my way into a hundred secret rooms by the age of twelve. And that's about when this happened. There had always been this one door that I couldn't get into. And it absolutely killed me that I couldn't. At this point I was feeling all high and mighty because I had just gotten rid of Zidane. I decided it was a good time to open that damn door. Needless to say, I did eventually. Inside, I found lots of creepy stuff I had never even imagined. But at the end of the lab I found pods. Dozens, perhaps hundreds, of pods. I didn't know what they were back then, of course. But Garland had somehow known I was trying to break into that room and he headed me off at the pass. He went in there ahead of me and opened one of the pods, giving the thing inside some brief instructions and then leaving it there for me to deal with. That would be Drakja. The two of us had a little tiff because he was so convinced he was better than me. But Garland's plan backfired. Drakja revealed some information to me that I wasn't supposed to know," Kuja hesitated, unconsciously scratching his head.  
  
/I REALLY don't want to talk about this . . ./ he thought miserably.  
  
"What did you find out?" Vivi asked nervously.  
  
"I found out about Mikoto, of course," Kuja said simply. "I had been feeling so great about getting rid of Zidane and what happens? I'm replaced AGAIN! So I attempted to get rid of her too,"  
  
Zidane frowned. "What do you mean?"  
  
"I mean," Kuja snapped. "That I proceeded to destroy the area she was held in. She was still tanked at the time and I blew up nearly everything in the room. But I didn't kill her. I don't know if I couldn't or if something told me not to, but I let Mikoto live and fled the lab. Garland, though a tad peeved, sealed Drakja away once more. But then he had MY wrath to deal with . . . And I spent half my remaining time on Terra studying in on the geonomes as much as I could . . ." Kuja smiled smugly at the thought.  
  
"So THAT'S why Drakja was teasing you," Lady Hilda said nodding.  
  
/Flash/  
  
This is a warning . . . Beware the Metsubo . . .  
  
/Flash/  
  
Kuja gasped suddenly. The dream! The dream he'd been having over and over again! He'd been seeing that scene! And now he'd run into Drakja again! The purple-eyed woman was trying to tell him something about Drakja!  
  
Kuja leapt out of his seat, eyes wide.  
  
"I've got to go!" he said suddenly, ignoring the confused looks he was getting.  
  
And with that, the warlock turned tail and fled. . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A/N: "And with that, the warlock turned tail and fled . . ." Get it?! Get it?! Turned TAIL and fled? BWAHAHAHAHAHA. Anyhoo, *phew* that was a lot. Did anyone understand that? *Looks hopeful.* Also, just ignore what Ummei was saying for now. It's not going to make sense for a LOOOONG time. So just tuck it into the back of your mind and recall it later when necessary. Also, in case anyone was wondering . . .  
  
TODAY'S ADDITION OF "WHY BMD USES THE WORDS SHE DOES."  
  
1. Metsubo means downfall or ruin in Japanese (I might have mentioned that already).  
  
2. Each of the "Kuja reign" names (Saishoja, Dainija, etc.) really do mean what I said. Saisho means "first" in Japanese, Daini means "second" and so on. Seriously, "Ku" means ninth in Japanese! But "Ja" is just a word I made up. And it's kind of funny how it happened. See, when I first named Drakja, I did it for a reason that I'll mention in a second. Then I noticed that both his name and Kuja's name end in "Ja." So I just said that it meant devil ^_^ Also, as I said I was going to say @_@, I named my villain Drakja because draco means dragon in Latin and, well, it's pretty self-explanatory. Dragon - Devil. Simple.  
  
READ AND REVIEW!!!  
  
******* Black Mage Dad *******  
  
P.S. (boy do I have a lot of those) I'm just wondering, are character- deaths okay? I'm currently not planning any but just in case . . . I promise I wouldn't kill anyone we all like! Well, just let me know . . . Yo, thanks ^_^ 


	16. Violet Eyes and Telekinesis

A/N: Chapter sixteen! Yay! This has gone farther than I ever would have imagined! Wow! Anyhow, a few reviewers commented on the fact that Ummei seemed a little "smarter" during that one conversation in the last chapter. Well . . . I actually have an explanation for that ^_^ See, I'd originally planned for that to happen but I intended to sort of . . . ease . . . the readers into it slower. Guess I did a lousy job with that *sweatdrop* For those of you who have read/watched Fushigi Yuugi: think Chiriko *laughs* But it has nothing to do with kanjis or celestial powers . . . er, you'll see . . .  
  
Disclaimer: If I owned Final Fantasy they would be movies and I wouldn't be wasting time trying to battle my way through them. I would watch them every day! Alas, for my lack of ownership . . .  
  
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"When will we learn . . . When will we change . . . We'll make millions writing books on the way we should have been . . ."  
  
- Warning, Incubus  
  
Kuja skidded down one of the side hallways, grasping onto the wall as he nearly lost his footing. She was going to be there . . . Somehow he just knew that woman was going to be there . . . As one of the lit corridors down the side came into view, he finally spotted the fiend, standing near a tapestry of the late Queen Brahne. Her unnaturally colored eyes were scanning it with extreme interest. When Kuja called out, she simply glanced at him, and then acted as if the genome wasn't there.  
  
"Hello?!" he shouted in frustration. "Please! What is it you're trying to tell me?! What is the Metsubo?!"  
  
The woman - ignoring the shouts - gently placed her hand against the tapestry, face remaining emotionless. Kuja's temper was boiling once more.  
  
"Excuse me, are you DEAF?! Hello?!" he waved his arms (feeling rather foolish) in a vain attempt to get her attention. Slowly, the woman raised her eyes, turning them onto him and making him feel as if she were reading his mind.  
  
"You and the queen had much more in common than you may have realized . . ." she said in her eerie, resonating voice. It sounded almost as if it didn't come from her throat but rather from the very walls around them.  
  
"Wh-what are you talking about?"  
  
The woman didn't answer. Instead, she raised a finger and beckoned Kuja over, silently drawing him nearer. He couldn't help but do so. When they were within touching distance, the woman turned to him, violet eyes casting over his physique. The first smile Kuja had ever seen on her face flickered across her lips. But it was more of a grimacing smirk than anything.  
  
"You are lucky," she said smoothly, pressing a hand against Kuja's chest and running her fingers over his muscles. "You are powerful in body and spirit . . . Yet perhaps not so lucky? Hmm?"  
  
"Wh-what do you mean?" Kuja found the whole thing very awkward. A stranger was touching him and talking about him as if he were some sort of object for sale.  
  
"A body like this is rare and sought after," she answered simply, removing her hand and turning back to the tapestry.  
  
"It's just a replica," said Kuja rather derisively, raising one of his arms and staring at the fine-toned shape. "That's all. It was just luck of the draw,"  
  
The woman sneered, lavender eyes flashing. "Then answer me this: in the scheme of life, which is more important? The body, or the soul?"  
  
Kuja was quite taken-aback by the question, finding it rather off-topic. He blinked, and the words tumbled out of his mouth of their own accord.  
  
"The soul, of course,"  
  
"Bingo,"  
  
Kuja hesitated. "Uh . . . so . . .?"  
  
The woman chuckled, turning back to face the genome. She looked him over again and then sighed, looking sad once more. She winced for a moment and looked over her shoulder nervously.  
  
"I can't do this much longer . . ." she whispered to Kuja, eyes seemingly more orb-like than usual. "I've warned you, but there's only so much I can say before I'm cut off,"  
  
"Cut off by who?"  
  
The woman shook her head vigorously, pointing to her throat.  
  
"Can't say, eh?"  
  
She nodded silently. Kuja sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, searching the air for an answer. It hit him suddenly that he was standing in the middle of a hallway before a purple-eyed woman who couldn't talk about certain things and seemed a bit crazy at the same time. Maybe HE was the crazy one.  
  
"Listen," Kuja snapped. "I just want to know what the Metsubo is and why you were showing me memories of Drakja! Is that so difficult?!"  
  
"Well it must be or I would have done so already," the woman shot back. Kuja felt whipped and slightly ashamed. But still he pressed on.  
  
"Why do you keep commenting on my soul? The thing is useless! It should have died years ago!"  
  
"And it hasn't. Ever wondered why?"  
  
Two emotions swooped down upon the first angel of death. One, that this woman knew something she shouldn't, and two, that she might actually have an answer.  
  
"The thought's . . . crossed my mind . . ."  
  
The woman looked thoughtful for a moment, then exhaled heavily, rubbing her forehead as if she had a headache. "I can't risk saying anything out loud," Kuja felt the sinking disappointment immediately. "But . . . I WILL tell you this: you know of Saishoja. You looked into him. Don't develop anything further,"  
  
"But why?"  
  
"JUST DON'T!!!" the woman screamed, dropping to her knees. Kuja reached out to catch her but she vanished.  
  
Kuja hesitated, thinking back on her words. "Don't develop anything further . . ." he whispered to himself. Frowning slightly, he pulled a single coin of gil out of his pocket, holding it tightly between his fingers and clasping them into a fist so that the chip was no longer visible. With a deep breath, he closed his eyes. The coin slipped straight through the back of his hand and clattered to the floor with a dull chink. Kuja crouched down next to it, tail sweeping the floor, and gently picked it up.  
  
/Don't develop anything further? But why? Obviously HE did!/ Kuja unconsciously found himself growling. With a start, someone called out behind him, causing the genome to drop the gil.  
  
"Feather! What're you doing?" Megan trotted down the hall, shooting her friend strange looks from behind. Kuja hurriedly picked up the chip and looked over his shoulder, smiling and showing it to her.  
  
"Found a coin," he said brightly, standing up and holding it out. "You want it?" Megan looked reluctant (she'd taken so much money from him already) however Kuja grabbed her hand and turned it palm up. A smirk flashed across his pale lips.  
  
/Don't develop further?! Who the hell does she think she's kidding?! I'll do whatever I WANT!!!/  
  
He lifted his wrist to drop the coin in her hand, then at the last minute teleported it into the other. Megan blinked and stared at her empty palm and then at his.  
  
"How did you do that?!" she demanded, wrinkling her forehead. Kuja smirked, showing her the coin.  
  
"Cool trick, huh?"  
  
Megan put her hands on her hips, glowering. "Do it again," Kuja chuckled and stuck the coin in his mouth, showing it between his teeth first. Megan raised a curious eyebrow. Then Kuja threw his head back, looking as if he were swallowing the coin. Megan shrieked in horror. However, Kuja had let the coin drop straight out the back of his head and caught it in the hand hidden behind his back. When he showed her the coin, Megan looked almost faint.  
  
"Feather, how . . . how is that possible?!"  
  
Kuja just laughed and put an arm around her shoulder.  
  
"Megan, one of these days you're going to learn that certain things are best left un-discussed,"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Dust was blowing in the wind. Sand swirled around his feet. Messing up his nice shiny boots . . . Drakja scowled as he shuffled his way through the grainy powder, trying to keep it out of his more-than-perfect hair. He gave Garland a death-look and slung the pack over his other shoulder.  
  
"I don't see why I can't just follow you as a snake or something!" Drakja snapped, tail thrashing the air angrily. Garland smirked, cape bobbing in the wind.  
  
"Because you have to carry that pack with you,"  
  
"Why can't YOU carry it?!"  
  
Garland chuckled. "Two reasons. Because you obey me, and because SHE may not,"  
  
"I THOUGHT she was DEAD!" Drakja shifted the pack again, the straps cutting into his shoulders. If it weren't for the sand in his teeth, he surely would have bitten his master.  
  
"Of course she's not dead!" Garland snarled, kicking at a clump of dirt. "Do you think I would have come all this way if she was dead?!"  
  
"Grrrrrrr . . ."  
  
"Oh, grrrrrrr yourself . . ."  
  
Drakja raised his eyes to the blistering sunlight. A bird swooped by unnaturally close.  
  
/Lulian . . .? You're not supposed to be here . . ./  
  
Garland stopped walking so abruptly that Drakja nearly bumped into him. "There . . ." the Terran leader whispered, pointing over the horizon. "You see it?"  
  
Drakja's eyes widened. A volcano! He'd never seen one before!  
  
"Whoa . . . And there's fire in there?"  
  
"Sort of,"  
  
Drakja's eyes grew larger.  
  
"Come on. We don't have much time . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Unbeknownst to them, a woman was tracing their footsteps. She stopped and sniffed the air, frowning.  
  
/Just as I thought . . . You plan to bring back all your old henchmen, eh Garland? Nice try . . ./  
  
She glanced up at a bird soaring overhead. Her irregularly colored purple eyes flashed. "That is no normal flight pattern . . . Nice try again . . ."  
  
The bird fluttered and landed on a nearby tree, eyeing the woman reproachfully. The violet-eyed specter glared back.  
  
"You're shape-shifting is nice . . ." she hissed. "But you know you can't beat him nor fool me. . . Geonome . . ."  
  
There was a slurping sound and the bird's body-parts twisted and melted, forming into a human physique until the bird was completely gone. Back to normal, Lulian growled down at the woman, fingers grabbing at the branch like a throat.  
  
"Who are you?!" she shouted, bracing herself. The violet-eyed mistress simply laughed.  
  
"Would you look at that! I've stumbled upon the alpha-female! You must have SOME talent, then . . ."  
  
"WHO ARE YOU?!"  
  
"No one of interest. Now then, I want some information from you Miss . . . What is your name?"  
  
"Tell me how you knew I wasn't a bird and I will gladly spare your life!"  
  
The violet-eyed woman gave Lulian a simpering smile. "Fine then. I shall call you alpha-female. Now, can you tell me when they plan on putting the Metsubo to its full use?"  
  
Lulian pulled her heavily painted lips off her teeth, snarling. "Why should I?!"  
  
A dry wind blew across the sand, causing it to rise up in small puffs before them. The woman's lavender eyes sparkled so dangerously that Lulian actually gripped the branch harder.  
  
". . . Then you asked for it . . ."  
  
The geonome let out a choked gasp, emerald eyes rolling up into her head. "No . . . what are you . . . doing . . . to me . . .?"  
  
"Give in . . ." the woman whispered. Her voice seemed deeper, more melodic. Like running syrup. It poured in through Lulian's mind, soaking through its every nook and cranny. A shuddering sigh escaped the geonome's lips and a fountain of information seemed to tumble over her nemesis like an open book of secrets.  
  
/Flash/  
  
Ready . . . Aim . . . FIRE!  
  
Look at these. God, it's the fountain of youth!  
  
I can control everything else without his own mind! And use the remains for myself!  
  
Garland, are you sure about this?  
  
They're back . . . All of them . . . Beautiful, beautiful . . .  
  
Don't let him unleash everything. He's being aided, remember?  
  
Not . . . dead . . .?  
  
I want my guardian back! Get me the Gulug stone!  
  
I've reinstalled the old Invincible. Though with you, I won't be needing it.  
  
Transmigratory?! He's Barrier Transmigratory?! Why didn't you TELL me?!  
  
Kill her.  
  
I want them back! I want them and I will have them!  
  
It could kill him.  
  
No! Not with Saishoja!  
  
Funny. So many things he wanted and I give them to him in less than a second!  
  
The summoners? Of course!  
  
The girl. Look into the girl.  
  
Two-thirds twice!  
  
It's the Theory of Planetary Magnetism. It works like patchwork with my plan!  
  
Tonight we use . . . the Metsubo . . .  
  
/Flash/  
  
The violet-eyed woman stumbled backwards, head reeling. Lulian let out a soft whimper and fainted out of the tree, landing with a thump in the sand.  
  
"Planetary Magnetism?!" the woman gasped. "No! It can't be! Then . . . Then there is even more at stake here! I - I must no longer risk visions. I will go to the Ninth Devil in person! I may not be too late . . .  
  
Please don't let me be too late . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kuja heard a faint cluttering sound behind him as he stood, cowl-covered, in the market-square. Looking over his shoulder, he spotted a baby chocobo running loose down the street chased closely by a stumbling black mage. He hurriedly pulled his hood up further over his face.  
  
"Are you buying, sir?" a voice asked nearby. Kuja didn't even look to see who it was and shook his head, backing away. He'd just needed to escape the castle. Megan had run off to her guest-room once more (still muttering "how is that possible . . .?" at the same time) and the others were hanging around too close for comfort. He'd been getting "the looks" again. Phooey . . .  
  
Someone tapped the sorcerer on the shoulder, startling him. "Wha - ?"  
  
"Hey! It's me, Zidane!" the blonde genome moved in front of his brother, smiling. "What's up?"  
  
Kuja just grunted as people brushed past him, trying to squeeze their way down the crowded road. "Just wandering . . ."  
  
"Yeah? Well maybe that's not the safest thing to be doing right now. You do realize this is one of the only areas those geonomes didn't burn to the ground. What makes you think they won't be back to finish the job?"  
  
"Oh, they won't," said Kuja confidently. "I doubt they're here to destroy Alexandria. That doesn't seem like Garland's style,"  
  
"He did it once before . . ."  
  
"But only to keep me in check,"  
  
Zidane folded his arms over his chest, raising an eyebrow. "You know . . . No offense, bro, but you told us Garland viewed your original . . . ancestor . . . as the second most powerful warrior on Terra. But . . . Drakja seems a LOT more powerful than you,"  
  
Kuja laughed, tucking a highly noticeable strand of silver hair back into his hood. "Yeah, I've been meaning to warn you about the geonomes - Drakja in particular - so you and your friends can be on alert,"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Well," Kuja said. "First of all, he - Drakja - is a Teleporter. He can vanish with the snap of a finger. Not only that, but he has flight - as you saw - and amazing physical and magical strength. You know that shadow- ball Garnet told me I was attacked with?" Zidane nodded with interest. "Well, let me put it to you this way. Avoid those at all costs. It's a sort of death-ball. Drakja summons the power of shadows with that attack and if you're hit, it acts like one. You're blinded; can't see a thing. And sometimes, the haze leads to unconsciousness or death. It shuts down your organs. On top of that, it uses magical attacks on you from the inside. No one can tell what's hitting you, thus, no one can help you. Until you die. So if you see a black mist in any of the geonome's hands, get the hell oughtta there 'cause it's big trouble," he frowned. "By the way, what kind of magic did it look like I was hit with? I really can't remember . . ."  
  
Zidane tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Based on the twitching and screaming, I'd say it was some kind of lightning attack,"  
  
Kuja nodded. "Yeah, it probably had a hidden Thundaga in it. And one more thing. The geonomes are shape-shifters,"  
  
Zidane sputtered with surprise. "Shape-shifters?! You mean, like, being able to turn into other things?!"  
  
Kuja shrugged. "Basically . . . I mean, that stray chocobo over there," he pointed at Bobby Corwen as he made a mad dash down the street with the black mage hot on his heels. "Could be Drakja right now. Or that fly buzzing around your ear . . ."  
  
Zidane shivered. "Stop it! You're freakin' me out!"  
  
Kuja laughed. "Don't worry. Shape-shifting doesn't come all that easily for them and they don't do it often. I find it highly unlikely that the fly is a geonome. Although that one woman - Lulian or whatever - must be pretty good at it if she was romping around Alexandria as a German Shepard,"  
  
Zidane still looked confused. "But what about you? You're nowhere NEAR that powerful! How could Garland think you were the second best?"  
  
Kuja's deep blue eyes sparkled in a bemused manner. "Let's just say, I've got a few powers you've never seen besides my above-normal sorcery,"  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"Like . . . I'm Barrier Transmigratory,"  
  
" . . . Which is . . .?"  
  
"The ability to walk through walls,"  
  
There followed a mad coughing fit from the second angel of death. When he recovered, he was red in the face and gasping for breath. "You . . . You can walk through WALLS?!!"  
  
"Uh huh,"  
  
"But . . . But you told us how you couldn't get in that door, and . . ."  
  
"Cool it, Zidane," Kuja instructed, smirking slightly. "I didn't learn about that stuff till I was around fifteen or so and even then I never bothered developing it. Never thought I'd have to,"  
  
"So . . . So you could walk right through me? Right now?"  
  
Kuja shook his head. "Doubtful. I'm not experienced enough. But," he pulled out a coin of gil. "I can do the little stuff," slowly, the genome tipped his hand. The coin tumbled out and fell through his foot, vanishing from sight. Smiling, Kuja raised his boot. The gil lay beneath it. Zidane gasped.  
  
"That's unbelievable! You are SO lucky!"  
  
/Flash/  
  
"You are lucky," she said smoothly, pressing a hand against Kuja's chest and running her fingers over his muscles. "You are powerful in body and spirit . . . Yet perhaps not so lucky? Hmm?"  
  
/Flash/  
  
Kuja bit his lip. "Perhaps . . ."  
  
"Perhaps?! Hell, I'd give ANYTHING to be able to do that!"  
  
"Even your soul?" the words came out of Kuja's mouth without him even realizing it. He paled, blinking. Why had he just said that? Zidane seemed to be wondering the same thing.  
  
"Er . . . no, I don't think I would, thanks,"  
  
Kuja shook his head. That haze was coming back. Everything seemed to appear before him as a mist. He rubbed his eyes a few times to rid himself of the feeling and then noticed Zidane staring at him.  
  
"What?" he queried. Zidane frowned.  
  
"Is that thing you do with the red eyes . . . part of your powers?"  
  
Kuja was quite taken-aback by the question. "Listen, Zidane. I don't know what the heck you guys mean about the red eyes but, honestly, it's no big deal,"  
  
"What about the gaps in your memory during those times?"  
  
Kuja hesitated but was spared having to answer because at that moment a woman fell into him and Zidane, nearly knocking them to the ground. She was wearing a heavy cloak, obscuring her face, and she shrieked, clawing at Kuja furiously as he tried to shove her off.  
  
"Lady! Lady, geez! Get off me!"  
  
The woman suddenly grabbed Kuja's wrists and stood over him, her eyes wild.  
  
Her lavender eyes . . .  
  
"You!" Kuja hissed. Zidane was scrambling to his feet, daggers at the ready. However, Kuja halted his actions with a look. He turned back to the woman, who was breathing heavily, and softly questioned her. "What do you want . . .?"  
  
The woman bared her teeth, grip tightening on Kuja's delicate wrists.  
  
"Kuja!" she rasped. "You've got to get out of here! Now! Run!"  
  
"What?! Why?!" people were stopping and staring. If this kept up, someone was going to gather soldiers.  
  
"They will come for you!" the woman cried, grabbing Kuja's shoulders and shaking him. His hood fell back off his face, revealing silvery locks of hair. "You don't understand! The Invincible! Return to the Invincible!"  
  
Kuja's face clouded over in confusion as he fought to get up. "You're - you're not - making - any - sense! What are you talking about?!"  
  
Zidane's eyes were gleaming. He looked ready for some serious stabbing. Kuja glanced at him and shook his head. He had only managed to get in a sitting position. The woman continued to hold him down slightly.  
  
"Now, slow down . . ." Kuja instructed. "And try and explain this to me . . ."  
  
The violet-eyed specter did not seem ready to slow down. Rather, she seemed more hysterical than before. "No! You don't understand!" she seemed to be trying to convince him that he was not comprehending. "You're alive! They will come for you! You must go to the Invincible and deposit - "  
  
She was cut off by the nearest shop-stall exploding. Debris and wood planks blasted in their direction barely managing to graze by. Just barely . . .  
  
"No!" someone screamed nearby. "No! I'll kill you, you - " something flashed behind the violet-eyed woman and she was thrown off of the first angel of death so suddenly that neither he nor Zidane realized what had happened before it was too late.  
  
"You tattling SNITCH!" an all-too-familiar voice shrieked. Lulian was crouched on one of the nearest roof-tops, green eyes flaring like a cats in the darkness. "You bitch! I'll kill you, I swear!" she leapt off the building, landing nearby. The second her feet hit the ground she vanished and reappeared next to Zidane, tossing him - caught unawares - out of the way.  
  
The cloaked woman was getting to her feet, backing away defensively. "Ah, it's the alpha-female. Back and ready for clawing, I see,"  
  
"Shut up, you perse-eyed freak!" Lulian took a threatening step forward. Kuja was still sitting on the ground, watching. Apparently, he was not afraid of Lulian.  
  
"Kuja, it's that woman again!" Zidane ran over to his brother, waiting for confirmation that he could attack. But Kuja was staring intently at Lulian. He frowned. Zidane stepped back nervously. "What? What is it . . .?"  
  
Lulian raised her hands, ready to attack. She growled furiously. "If I get whipped because of you, you're a DEAD WOMAN!"  
  
Her nemesis sniggered, rolling her eyes. "Sure . . . Whatever,"  
  
Flames erupted at her feet but she managed to jump out of the way. Lulian charged. Her opponent dodged and Lulian made a quarter-turn in the air to attack, palms at the ready. Unfortunately, the magical energy she had intended to threw at the cowl-covered specter was avoided and it pummeled into the shop-stall right behind Zidane and Kuja. Zidane managed to dive out of the way of the collapsing structure just in time. He hit the ground and immediately whipped his head over his shoulder in search of his brother.  
  
"KUJA!!!"  
  
There was a moment of silence. Lulian backed up a few steps, eyes uneasy. Zidane was breathing hard, unable to believe that Kuja couldn't have dodged that explosion. But their reactions were nothing compared to the lavender- eyed woman's. She clapped a hand over her mouth, eyes disbelieving.  
  
"Oh no! Alpha-female, you fool! If you've stirred up . . ."  
  
Lulian's leopard-like eyes rounded on her enemy. "Y-you don't mean what I think you mean . . .? Do you . . .?"  
  
People were running and shouting now. Guards would be coming at any second. Zidane suddenly felt himself rising in the air.  
  
"Wha - ?!" but he saw that the violet-eyed mistress was levitating him towards her with some kind of telekinesis.  
  
"Zidane, come here! Hurry! Don't go near that building!" the blonde genome landed on his rear with a thump next to the woman. He glared up at her, rubbing his backside.  
  
"But why?!"  
  
Lulian was grinding her teeth nervously. "You'll see . . ."  
  
A deep rumbling was shaking beneath the ground. Zidane felt the vibrations beneath him. He looked around in surprise, and then his eyes fell on the pile of rubble that Kuja was under. Cracks of light were shooting out of it in great golden beams. His eyes widened.  
  
"Wh - what's going on . . .?!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: CLIIIIIIIIIIIIF-HAAAAAAAAANGER! Wheeeeeeee!!!! Don't you just HATE it when we do that?! BWAHAHAHAHA! And I've already started work on the next chapter so I know EXACTLY what's happening! Heeheehee! Anyways . . . Purple-eyed woman . . . I'm sick of saying that. But I'm not revealing her name for awhile. Not until everyone gets friendly with her. Sorry . . . Oh well. Anyways, read and review!  
  
B - L - A - C - K M - A - G - E D - A - D!  
  
P.S. Barrier Transmigratory is a word I made up. So don't go using it in daily life 'cause it won't make you sound smarter. Quite the contrary, actually. Isn't it cool that Kuja can do that? Awesome! 


	17. The Transformation

A/N: Ah . . . I apologize for the cliffy . . . I know, that was terrible of me.  And the wait!  Oy, I am SOOOOO sorry!  I had all these stupid formatting problems and stuff . . . You wouldn't believe what I had to go through to get this chapter on the web.  Anyways, CAN THESE CHAPTERS GET ANY LONGER?!?!?!  This one's longer than the last one!  What the heck is goin' on?!  Crazy . . .  And this chapter makes absolutely no sense!  MWAHAHAHAHAHA!  Well, it does to me.  But that's 'cause I know the plot already ^_^  So you all must suffer and ponder the meaning of this strange madness I have spewed in this next segment of the story.  I PROMISE it will all makes sense . . . someday . . . Until then, read and review!

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy = Property of Squaresoft.  Kuja = Should be BMD's property . . . But isn't . . . *sob*

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"I reached for sleep and drew it round me like a blanket muffling pain and thought together in the merciful dark." 

 – Mary Stewart

Garland's fist closed around the protrusion of stone outside the door.  It was still hot.  She was still in there . . . A grin spread across his face.  

"Flame . . ." he whispered.  "Drakja, have you put the Gulug Stone in yet?!"

"I'm – getting – there!" Drakja shoved the stone into the back wall.  There was no space to actually stick it but his strength pummeled it into the stone and caused long cracks to spread along the wall.  "Got it!"

Garland nodded.  "Good.  She may not respond to me.  But she will DEFINITELY respond to you," Drakja said nothing.  His master's fist twitched, ready to open the door, when the red light that always seemed present in his armor suddenly burst forth in a brilliant explosion of luminescence.  Drakja shielded his face, green eyes wide. 

"Wh-what the heck?!"

Garland stared down at the light, fingers slipping from the stone.  "It can't be . . ." he whispered.  "What could possibly have . . ." he froze.  "Drakja, stay here.  I'll be back,"

And with that, Garland disappeared.  Drakja grasped at the space his master had vanished through.

"Wait!  Sir, I – oh hell," he disappeared as well.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Zidane shielded his eyes from the yellow light, trying to hold himself steady as the ground shook.  Above him, Lulian was letting out small sobs of fright.  Whatever was going on had to be REALLY bad, the genome realized.

And then, all at once, the pile of rubble that had buried Kuja exploded.  Planks of wood and stone flew into the air, raining down upon them all.  Through the dust, Zidane could see someone sitting Indian-style, shoulders hunched as if in pain.  The only truly discernable thing through the smoke was a pair of glowing, red eyes . . . It had happened to Kuja again . . .

"They've awakened!" the cloaked woman gasped, grabbing Zidane and pulling him back slightly.

People were running and screaming now, probably fearing another geonome attack.  Lulian looked around at the Alexandrians in horror.

"Shut up, you idiots!" she shrieked.  "You'll make it worse!!!"

Kuja's head rose slowly, silvery hair lifting off his back as if caught in a high wind.  Debris was flying around his form like a storm and a soft yellow halo surrounded his body.  A low growl escaped his throat.

"Don't – move, Zidane," the violet-eyed woman whispered.  "Just don't move,"

Kuja lifted lethargically into the air, cloak billowing out behind him.  His blood-colored eyes seemed to be scanning the area though his face remained expressionless.  And suddenly, he threw back his head in a bone-crushing scream and the entire square was bathed in light.  The buildings nearest to him exploded so simply it was if someone had simply stepped on them.  People were thrown hundreds of feet into the air.  The purple-eyed woman managed to use her telekinesis to keep Zidane on the ground. 

"What is he doing?!" the genome cried as the light began to fade.  "Has he lost his fuckin' MIND?!" 

"Zidane, he doesn't know what he's doing," the woman explained almost pleadingly.  "You can't blame him for this.  We can only try and stop him,"

"Grr . . . I'LL stop him!" Lulian snapped, darting into the air.  "I'll be killed if my master finds out about this!"

"NO!" the violet-eyed woman screamed, reaching out to grab the geonome's dress.  "Don't put him in danger!  It'll make it worse!"

"Shut up!" Lulian threw a flare straight at Kuja, knocking him backwards several feet.  He hit the ground, unmoving for a moment.  Zidane stifled a cry.  Suddenly, Kuja's eyes snapped open, their color now an even deeper, more flaming red.  A snarl like a dog's rose in his throat and he sent a magical blast of energy right into Lulian's chest.  She let out a cry and fell to the ground on her knees, gasping for breath. 

"Th-that's not an attack!" she choked out.  "What the hell WAS that?!"

"Please!  Don't anger him!" Zidane's protector begged, looking ready to get down on her hands and knees.  "You could hurt him!"

Lulian let out a sarcastic "HA!"  

"How the hell could I hurt THAT thing!" she pointed at Kuja who was now rising to his feet, the yellow light around him beginning to spin.  "He's INSANE!!!"

"You KNOW he's not!  You know what happened!  Don't hurt him!"

Zidane watched, mortified.  His brother was on some kind of rampage!  Things were exploding EVERYWHERE!

Lulian charged, feet skimming the ground as she made a punch at her nemesis.  Kuja dodged it easily and slammed her into the ground.  They heard a crack.  He'd broken her spine!  The geonome let out a blood-curdling gargle and melted into a slug (an invertebrate) and back again.  She let out a gasp, touching her back.

"That son of a bitch!"

She reached out towards Kuja and grabbed his tail between her fists, squeezing.  "See how YOU like it!"

Kuja turned and stared at her, crimson eyes flashing.  Then, a voice quite unlike his own began to speak.  It sounded almost female/male.  Completely neutral.

"We're sworn to protect him," he growled, not even wincing as Lulian squeezed her fist closed tighter.  It should've broken his tail but the warlock didn't even flinch.  "And until we're gone, you can say your prayers!"

The violet-eyed woman gasped, pushing Zidane out of the way as she took a step forward.  "Don't!" she cried.  "You're not helping him!  You're KILLING him!"

Kuja's eyes lashed onto her, lip curling.  "Who are YOU to judge what we are doing?!  You wish to return us?"

"I do!  And I know where!"

Kuja's face twisted into a grimace.  An impetuous wrath glowed in his violent eyes.  "We will NOT go to him!  You cannot make us!"

"But this is not suitable!  You're too strong now, Kuja!  Remember what happened when you let it completely take over?  You're too weak!  Think about the consequences!"

Kuja let out a small "Gerk!" of pain and his eyes flashed to blue for a moment.  He dropped to his knees, clutching at his chest.  Zidane's eyes widened.  But then his brother's eyes jerked back to red and his teeth were bared once more.

"We are no longer under orders!" his genderless voice shouted.  Lulian's hand was trembling now.  She let go of his tail and it slithered out of her reach.  "Nothing can take that away from us!  And you know what happens when we fall into other hands with evil intentions!"

"I do!  And I won't let anyone!  Just STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING!"

Kuja's eyes narrowed.  A pile of overturned trashcans down the street exploded.  His fingers were clenched into fists at his sides.

"Zidane!" the violet-eyed woman shouted.  "Bring him back!"

"What?!  Are you NUTS?!  I'm not goin' near him like this!"

The woman smacked him across the shoulder in annoyance.  "No, not that!  Say something that will bring him back!  Call out his name!  Anything!"

Zidane frowned.  /Call out his name?/

"Kuja!" he shouted, scrambling to his feet.  "Kuja, stop what you're doing!  Think!  You're not the villain anymore!  Don't turn that around!"

Kuja hesitated, eyes flashing once more.  Then he let out a scream, throwing himself into a nearby building and punching his fist straight through the support.  The entire construct came crashing down.  The cowl-covered woman gasped.

"It's working!  Keep going!"

Zidane nodded, determined.  "Kuja!  You swore you'd never hurt anyone again!  Don't take back your promise!"

"AAAARGH!" Kuja dropped to his knees, pulling at his hair.  His body trembled.  Now Zidane was pumped.  

/I can do this . . ./

"Think about your reputation, Kuja!  Don't give people a reason to hate you!"

Kuja hissed furiously.  He began to crawl forward, hand reaching out towards Zidane.  Lulian covered her mouth in horror.  A wind seemed to be pulling Kuja back.  He cried out, blocking his face as a gale surrounded Zidane, protecting him.  Something was stopping his brother and it wasn't the purple-eyed woman.  

"Kill . . ." Kuja breathed.  "Shut up . . . Or we'll kill you . . ." 

Lulian blinked suddenly, bending over and daintily picking something up off the ground.  The geonome stared at the object, frowning, and then glanced up at Zidane.

He bit his lip.  Something had to bring Kuja back . . . 

/Of course!/

"Think about MEGAAAAAN!!!" 

The wind disappeared.  The air calmed.  Kuja shut his eyes, hunched over in pain.  

"Ugh . . ." he dropped to all fours, breaking out in a sweat.  A trickle of blood rolled down his chin.  He was gasping for breath.  And he almost seemed to be . . .

Dying . . . 

/Flash/

Kuja shuddered, his face pale. Beatrix's eyes flashed and she crouched down next to him, peering intently into his face.

His lips were coated with blood . . .

A thin line of red liquid dripped out of the corner of his mouth and rolled down his chin, falling with a small splash onto the unpaved road. Beatrix gently wiped some up with one finger, staring at the blood as if it were the wrong color . . .

"Oh, and also," Zidane added.  "I won't file for police brutality. If you look closely, his lip's not cut,"

It was true . . . There was nothing there that could possibly explain any blood . . .

/Flash/

Zidane gasped.  /Kuja's eyes were red then too!  What in the world is going on?!/ The purple-eyed woman grabbed him.  

"Zidane!  Zidane, wait!" she shrieked suddenly and he felt her hands leave him.  The genome looked over his shoulder.

"Aaaaaagh!" Garland had appeared out of nowhere and clapped a hand over the woman's mouth.  Now he was steadily lifting into the air with her struggling desperately in his arms. 

"Oh, you ARE a sneaky one, aren't you?" Garland teased, letting go of the violet-eyed woman's body.  She floated in the air, her back to him and a small glow resonating around her immobile body.  She let out a choking sound.

"Zidane!  Your brother . . . don't let this happen again!  Bring him back!  Get rid of – " her voice was strangled and Garland shoved a hand straight through her back.  Blood exploded onto the street.  Spectators below screamed.  Nearby, Zidane spotted Drakja, peering out from behind a building.  He seemed thoughtful.  Then Garland and the woman vanished and Drakja hurriedly followed suit.

Alexandrian soldiers were flooding the street, swords at the ready. 

"What the hell is goin' on here?!" it was Beatrix and she was looking around at the busted buildings in horror.  Zidane was about to call out her name when he spotted the pool of the purple-eyed woman's blood . . . Reminding him . . .

/Kuja!/

The sorcerer was lying in the street, completely unmoving.  Zidane bit his lip, nervously running over to his fallen brother.  As he neared him, Kuja stirred and coughed up a spray of blood onto the road.  The first angel of death groaned and curled in slightly, eyes shut tight in pain.  Zidane dropped to his knees at the warlock's side, gently touching his shoulder.  

"Kuja . . ." he whispered, shaking him slightly.  "Kuja, are you okay?"

His brother didn't respond.  Zidane glanced up nervously, something catching his attention nearby.  He realized, suddenly, that it was whatever object Lulian had picked up before.  Reaching over Kuja's body, Zidane's fingers clasped around the entity and he held the thing up close to his face, which clouded over in immediate confusion.

"A red feather?  But . . ."

Kuja's eyes flickered open slightly.  They were back to their usual icy blue; but now they were clouded and glazed in sheer agony.  He let out a soft whimper.  "Zidane . . . Don't let them kill anyone . . . They said they would . . . hurt people . . . if I . . . was hurt . . ." 

His body went limp.  Zidane gasped.  But he could see that Kuja was still alive and he hurriedly lifted his brother into his arms, looking for a way to get back to the castle without someone stopping him in the street.

"Zidane!" Beatrix was standing nearby, staring at him.  The two made eye-contact and an unspoken contract seemed to come between them: it wasn't Kuja's fault.  Beatrix nodded and turned away, shouting at a soldier to look for any geonomes in the street.  Zidane realized, suddenly, that Lulian was gone. 

/Probably turned into a worm and is squelching away as we speak . . ./ the genome thought with some satisfaction.

Kuja shuddered and a small trickle of blood rolled down his chin again.  Zidane broke into a run.  "Just hold on, Kuja!"

/He'll be okay . . . won't he?/

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Mikoto and Ummei both jerked in surprise as they heard the sound of screaming and a struggle outside the door.  

"Shut up, bitch!  STAND DOWN!"

"Make me!  You monster, how dare you – UGH!"

There was a thud and the door flew open.  Garland stood there, holding a young woman around twenty-five by the ear.  There was a gaping wound in her stomach and blood spilling all over the floor, yet still she managed to swipe and twist and flail, desperate to get away.  Ummei's mouth dropped open in horror at the sight of Garland and he scrambled to his feet, bowing clumsily.

"S-sir . . .!  Wh-what brings you to the boiler-dungeons?!"

Garland raised a gray eyebrow, ignoring the screaming of the woman he was holding.  "Shut it with the smart words, Ummei.  We all know you're an idiot," he threw the woman into the room with such force that she hit the back wall and didn't move.  Mikoto's eyes were bigger than saucers.

"G-g-g-g-g-garland?!"

Garland ignored her and spat bitterly before turning sharply on his heel.  Speaking over his shoulder, he gave his final requests.

"Ummei, make sure that woman doesn't get out.  Seems she's a little tattle-tale.  If she attempts any form of telekinetic powers, I give you the privilege to use the blocking part of the Metsubo,"

Ummei's mouth must have hit his feet at that one.  "Th-th-th-the METSUBO?!!!" he stuttered, sounding comically like Mikoto.  "But sir, I – "

"Are you disobeying orders, Ummei?"

"No!  Of course not!"

The door slammed shut in his face.  There was a ringing silence.  Ummei turned slowly to look at the woman strewn across the floor.  She twitched and opened one eye, smirking.

"Stupid Garland . . ." she muttered, sitting up.  "Like I'm going to let myself get afflicted by any part of that stupid Metsubo . . . Wha – ?"

Ummei was crouched down in front of her, staring intently into her face.  "There's something wrong with your eyes . . ." he stated, nose touching hers.  The woman blinked pulling back into the wall.

"I'm aware of that!" she snapped, pushing the geonome back.  Mikoto was on all fours, trying to see how far she could get near the woman while being shackled down.

"Miss!  Are you okay?!" she shouted, noticing the blood on the woman's cloak.  The purple-eyed mage glanced down at the wound and frowned.

"I'll be fine . . ."

Ummei reached towards it, looking serious.  "That's a nasty puncture wound you've got . . ." he muttered.  "Be careful.  If you touch it, it may become an avulsion.  I wish I had some kind of absorbent cloth . . ."

Mikoto was speechless.  "Ummei . . . are you . . . saying something . . . intelligent . . . ?" the geonome glanced over his shoulder, eyes blank.

"What about a dent?  I don't know nothin' 'bout no dent," 

Mikoto groaned, slapping a hand to her forehead.  "Idiot . . ." she mumbled.  The purple-eyed woman was staring in surprise at Mikoto suddenly, then focusing on her tail.  

"I-it can't be . . .!" she gasped.  "You're . . . you're the third angel of death!"

"Er . . . yeah, I am . . ."

"So Garland's plan is already in action . . ."

Mikoto gulped nervously, drawing her legs in.  "I can't believe he's alive . . ." she whispered.  "I mean . . . after everything . . ."

"Kid – Ummei is the name? – are you . . . on our side?"

Ummei said nothing.  He stared down at the floor for a moment before standing up and closing a fist.  He hesitated, then opened his hand.  A black orb was floating within it, spurting small bolts of lightning.

"I . . . er . . . Just don't make me have to use this,"

The violet-eyed woman stared at the darkness accumulating in his hand and frowned.  "A shadow-ball?" it crackled and she shut up immediately.  Mikoto was gazing blankly at the door.  

/Garland . . . Are you in command of this ship . . .?/

She glanced at the shadow-ball.  Ummei miserably blew on it.  The orb spun in an angry spiral.  

/Is it you that makes innocent people have to hurt others . . .?/

The lavender-eyed woman blinked sadly at the geonome, shaking her head.

/Is it you that makes innocent people get hurt . . .?/

". . . Kuja . . ."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

". . . Kuja . . . Wake up . . ."

Kuja wrinkled his nose, groaning.  Someone was moving above him.  He couldn't drag himself out of the darkness.  It felt like icy paws were trying to drown him; never letting him free.  If he never woke again it would mean nothing . . .

"Is he gonna be alright?" 

Zidane?  Kuja drew himself further into the frothy blackness.  No one could save him now.  That was what they had told him.  He would never come back.

"He seems stable.  Hasn't this happened before?"

Kuja knew the voice from somewhere.  The memory of it was fading fast.  Everything was.  His name . . . his life . . . his destiny . . . No longer belonged to him.

"Yeah.  When Beatrix arrested him the same thing happened.  Last time he coughed up some blood and almost passed out, but . . . it was a lot worse this time . . . Can't you wake him?"

There was some shuffling.  Kuja listened inwardly to the other voices.  They seemed happy enough.  There was one, though.  A woman.  She was pleading.  Make them stop . . . Make them stop . . .          

/They won't . . ./ Kuja whispered within himself.  /Give up the fight . . ./

"Zidane.  I . . . I think I know what's happening . . ."

"You – you do?!"

"Just give me a minute,"

The sorcerer blanketed himself in the blackness.  It was kind of comforting.  A place where no one would bother him.  How nice . . . So quiet.  Who was this Zidane they were referring to?  Someone he had once known . . .? 

"Kuja," someone whispered from above.  

/Eh?/

"What are you doing?" there was a moment of silence.  Then . . .

"Christopher Smith,"

/Me?  I must . . . respond . . . Ugh – /

Kuja's eyes snapped open.  He sat up in horror and cried out.  Someone was shouting – no, shrieking in his mind.  The genome clapped his hands over his ears, trying to rid himself of the screaming.

"No!  Stop!  NOOOOOO!!!"

Someone pushed him back down, pinning the warlock by his shoulders.  Kuja struggled for a moment and then focused on who was holding him down.

"Dr. Tot – !" he managed to choke out, relenting slightly.  "What's – AAAHH!" the shouting had returned again.  Kuja shut his eyes in agony.  It felt like his brain was going to split open.  He would have preferred death over this.

"Kuja."

The voices stopped.  Kuja's eyes blinked open.  It felt like there was an empty hole within him.  Zidane stood behind Dr. Tot, eyes wide.

"Kuja?"

/That's . . . me.  I'm Kuja./

"Dr. Tot, what just happened?  Who's Christopher Smith?" Zidane queried nervously.

Kuja realized he was lying in the infirmary of Alexandria Castle.  How embarrassing . . . Dr. Tot gave a half-hearted smile.

"Christopher Smith is my late uncle,"

"Late?"

"Yes.  He worked for Queen Brahne as a ship technician.  When Bahamut sunk her ship, he went with it.  Nasty way to go, really,"

/Christopher Smith . . ./ Kuja thought to himself.  /Met him once.  Shrewd little fellow he was . . ./

Zidane looked uneasy as Kuja gazed up at the ceiling, still a little hazy.  "But what ABOUT Christopher Smith?"

The whispering in Kuja's ears was threatening to reach full pitch again.  He didn't know why but he suddenly blurted out "Stop saying Christopher Smith," and then returned to the fascinating world of ceiling tiles.  Dr. Tot smirked, his beak twisting.

"I apologize," he said to Kuja.  "How rude of me.  Kuja," he put extra emphasis on the name.  The warlock glanced at him contemplatively, then turned inward to his thoughts once more.  Zidane neared his brother unsurely. 

"Kuja, are you – ?" Tot took the ex-thief by the arm and steered him out of the way.

"We've got to talk . . ." the old scholar muttered, dragging Zidane into the corner of the infirmary. 

"What is it?"

Tot harrumphed, pulling off his spectacles and wiping them on his coat.  He seemed a lot more serious than usual.  "Zidane," said the bird-like man.  "I've got a task for you.  It's going to sound strange, but it must be done before anything else can be accomplished,"

"What do you want me to do?" Zidane did not like the tone in Tot's voice.  It sounded like someone had died.  Tot sighed.

"You have to – HAVE TO – make your brother tell that girl who he really is,"

Zidane's eyebrows rose with surprise.  "You mean Megan?"

"Yes.  Do whatever it takes,"

"But . . . why?"

Tot glanced over at Kuja across the room.  The first angel of death was rubbing his forehead, frowning.

"Just do it.  I'll explain everything later on.  I think, however, that I may have stumbled upon part of Garland's plan . . ."  

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Garland snarled as he shoved open the door outside the Fire Chamber.  He could see that the Gulug Stone, smashed into the far wall, had caused splinters to form in the rock.  The cracks were glowing with a dull red.  Good . . . That meant access would be easy.

"Drakja!"

"Coming!  Geez!" the geonome stomped over, festering slightly.  Garland didn't look too happy himself.

"Delays, delays . . ." he mumbled, fumbling with the door-handle at the end of the room.  "Curse them . . . I can't believe this!" he began ranting suddenly as he placed a spell upon the stone.  "I spent so much damn time blocking the other entities; I never let them surface!  And then I turn my back for ONE second and my whole plan comes crashing down!  You DO realize what will happen if Kuja has – whether by his own volition or not – access to the other entities, don't you?" When Drakja blinked stupidly, Garland sighed, rolling his eyes.  "We won't be able to near him, idiot!  Think about it!  How are you going to complete the Metsubo task if they're uncontrollable?!  Duh!" 

Drakja frowned and  asked a question that had been on his mind for quite some time.

"Master . . . That light,"

"Yes?"

"Was that . . . what you want?  The thing that got out of control?"

Garland threw open the stone door, colorless eyes narrowed dangerously.  "Yes . . . Which means my plan is moving ahead of me.  We don't have much time now,"

"But . . . Maybe we should do this later then," Drakja kept his eyes averted, not wanting to push his master's temper too far.  Surprisingly, Garland chuckled.

"Patience, Drakja.  Have patience . . . Ah, she's still here,"

Drakja's eyes widened at the sight that greeted them in the Fire Chamber.  Something floated in suspended animation at the end of the room, eyes eerily open, long hair lying lifeless across the floor.

"Wh-what IS that?!"

Garland ignored his servant and moved down the room, coming to a halt before the motionless being.  "Madeline . . ." he whispered, reaching out a hand towards her.  His fingers sizzled for a moment and when he pulled them back, they were shrouded in flames.  Garland laughed as the fire dissipated and turned to Drakja, beckoning the nervous geonome forward.  "Come on!  She won't hurt you!"

Drakja edged towards the strange being, tail held alert in the air.  "She doesn't SEEM alive . . ." he mumbled, eyeing the creature with nerves.

"Oh, she is.  Her fire's still on,"

The two of them stood side by side, staring at the odd identity.  Finally, Garland held out a hand and pressed his palm against the invisible barrier, ignoring the flames immediately engulfing his fingers.

"Rebirth . . ."

The barrier crackled, spinning around the creature.  Drakja stepped back, bravery failing him.  The being vanished behind a sphere of flames that twisted like a tornado around her.  A wind picked up within the chamber.  Garland smiled wickedly.  Then something hit the floor with a dull smack and an explosion rocked the stones around them.  Dust smeared their vision for several seconds.  Then . . .

Something arose from the smoke, yellow eyes gleaming like fog-lights in a storm-tossed sea.  Drakja and Garland became aware of an odd rattling sound and a breathy hiss like a snake.  Something slithered near Drakja's foot.  He pulled back but was stopped by Garland who grabbed his wrist and threw him forward.  

"See if she remembers!" he snapped.  Drakja gulped and turned to the creature before him.  Her amber eyes were gleaming.

"Who are you . . .?" she hissed.  A forked tongue licked the air gingerly.  Drakja's thoughts scrambled as he tried to come up with something to say.

"I – I am Drakja . . . Descended of the city of Tanjo . . ." something twisted around his ankle, rooting him to the spot.

"Drakja . . . of Tanjo?  Is this some sort of joke?"

"It is no joke," Garland's voice floated out from behind them.  "And neither am I,"

"G-Garland?"

"Yes.  And I have come here to ask you to rejoin me,"

The creature's glowing eyes narrowed suspiciously and the rattling sound rose slightly in volume and speed.  "Why should I?  Look what happened to me last time . . ."

A grin spread across Garland's pale lips.  He looked as if Christmas had come early.  "What if I told you, you could have ALL the revenge you ever wanted?" the rattling stopped.  Drakja felt the coil release his leg.  The forked tongue flickered in Garland's face.

"ALL the revenge?  Meaning I could kill . . .Them . . .?"

"Yes.  And you could kill the one that forced you to do all that in the first place,"

"He's not . . . dead?"

"No.  But if you wish him to be . . ."

" – What do I have to do?"

Garland grinned sinisterly.  "It's a simple task . . . Just – "

"What about Derek?  Linda?  Michael?" 

Garland's balloon seemed to deflate slightly.  He glanced at Drakja, conveying the message "speak and die" and then put on the most sympathetic face he possibly could (a daring feat for someone like him).

"Madeline . . . I'm afraid they are . . . dead,"

". . . Dead . . .?"

"Yes.  Killed by the others,"

There was a moment of silence.

"Then tell me what I must do . . ."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N: Hey!  Did anyone figure out who that woman was?  The evil one with the fire?  It's pretty obvious . . . She's going to be an interesting one for our heroes to deal with.  I'm going to have a little fun with her.  And if you're wondering about those names, Madeline, Derek, Linda, and Michael, I will get to them later.  But the number of names is ANOTHER clue to who that woman is.  Gah, it's so obvious!  *Tears her hair out*  Anyways . . . Any strange words I used that need describing?  Er . . . Ah, yes.  Tanjo.  It means "birth" in Japanese.  When I say that Drakja is descended of the city of Tanjo, it could mean several things.  It could mean A) Drakja IS the original Drakja who was the general of the Tanjan army.  B) Drakja is simply referring to the fact that he is NOT the original Drakja and he was created after the Drakja from Tanjo.  Or C) Drakja was simply created in Tanjo.  Dunno . . . I'll leave it up to you people to decide.  However, the fact that the woman seemed so suspicious of Drakja being descended of Tanjo leaves me to believe she thinks he's the original.  Dunno . . . *sigh* Oh, poor Kuja!  I felt so terrible doing that to him!  He didn't deserve what I just did.  You'll see what I mean later.  *shudders* The mystery is unfolding . . . MWAHAHAHAHA.  And now Mikoto knows about Garland.  And Megan is going to have to find out about "Feather."  Hehehe . . . Sit tight.  And review my god damn fic!

BlAcK mAgE dAd 0 . 0 

P.S. I've discovered some new formatting tricks.  I'm really excited.  I am going to test one out . . . _now_ . . . Oh!  Oh!  Oh my god!  I italicized something!  _This is the happiest day of my life!_


	18. Soul Goal

A/N: Me back. Me hungry. Me too busy writing. Tired . . . So! Hi once more. I don't have much to say on this chapter. What a miracle. Oh, yeah . . . I knew this was gonna happen. I showed part of the last chapter to a friend of mine and asked who the "snake woman" was. She didn't even hesitate. Here follows the conversation the two of us had (to the best of my memory, hehe . . .)  
  
BMD: So? Who do you think it is?  
  
Anonymous friend: It's Maliris! DUH!  
  
BMD: What?! What makes you say that?!  
  
Anonymous friend: Um, she's a snake. She's creepy. She's evil.  
  
BMD: She ON GAIA!!!!!!  
  
Anonymous friend: Oh . . . But -  
  
BMD: She used to be allied with Garland!  
  
Anonymous friend: Yes, but -  
  
BMD: One of the other names mentioned was FEMALE!  
  
Anonymous friend: I just assumed that -  
  
BMD: YOU ASSUMED WRONG! *bashes anonymous friend over the head with a World History textbook*  
  
Anonymous friend: . . . Ouch . . .  
  
So as you can see, IT'S NOT MALIRIS!!!!!!! *sigh* But good guess ^_^ It shows that those of you who said that were at least thinking on the right track. Guess that doesn't leave too many other people it could be. Oh well . . .  
  
Disclaimer: Mesa no own Final Fantasy. Mesa Jar Jar Binks. Mesa think Jar Jar STINKS! Mesa think Square shouldn't be allowed to own Kuja! *Throws a hissy fit*  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"You are just a puppet. You have no heart and cannot feel any pain."  
  
- Sephiroth, Final Fantasy VII  
  
Dear Megan,  
  
Are you alright?! You're grandma and I heard about what's going on in Alexandria! Please tell us you're okay! We want you to come back home immediately; no delays. There is absolutely no way we could ever let you stay in that place right now. But listen, your grandmother and I are not in Katei. I know this will sound strange, but a very odd woman came to our house and told us to leave immediately. I couldn't get a good look at her, but I could have sworn she had purple eyes. She told us we had to hide so we're biding our time in Conde Petie. We demand that you return right now. Please, before you or Feather gets hurt. Please, Megan. Please come home.  
  
- Your panicking mother  
  
P.S. How is Feather? You two aren't doing anything . . . inappropriate . . . are you? Because I'll have your head, I swear. Now come home!  
  
Megan stared down at the letter in her hands. A purple-eyed woman had told her family to go to Conde Petie? What the hell? She bit her lip, looking up from the piece of paper. Go home? Now? But Feather had just been reunited with his brother! How could she tear them apart again?  
  
"Damn it . . ." she grumbled.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kuja wasn't totally sure when it had happened, but he'd somehow fallen asleep again that night. He hadn't seen anyone around for awhile and had lost track of time. The whispering was still swirling in his mind. Those voices . . . Why wouldn't they go away?! The sorcerer moaned, turning over in bed.  
  
/Shut up . . ./ he thought miserably. /Why won't you people leave me alone . . .?/  
  
He wondered what had happened to everyone else. Was Megan okay? She hadn't even left the castle, so she was probably fine. And had no clue what had happened to her friend . . .  
  
/Even I don't remember what happened to me . . ./ It was a strange realization that the warlock had no clue as to how he had wound up in the castle again. All he remembered was Lulian throwing that magic attack and the purple-eyed woman dodging it or something. He could've easily escaped what happened next, but he'd felt fastened to the ground. It was like someone was controlling him; telling him what he could and could not do. Then, he had felt the strangest rushing sensation and someone shouted "We're back!" in his mind. Next thing he knew, he was lying in agony upon the ground with Zidane crouched over him.  
  
/This sucks./ Kuja glared up at the ceiling, scowling. /Megan's probably wondering where I am. I doubt anyone else cares. Even I don't care. I should just go jump in a large hole and bury myself. Like anyone would be sad . . ./  
  
Kuja sat up suddenly, growling. Somebody was moving nearby. He waited several moments, but nothing happened. He mentally slapped himself.  
  
"You're so paranoid . . ." the genome hissed. "God . . ." he clapped his hands over his ears, the voices rising in volume once more. "Leave me alone . . ."  
  
He hesitated suddenly. If no one was nearby . . . Then what had he heard?  
  
/Kuja . . ./  
  
"What?" the sorcerer looked around in surprise, searching for the source of the voice.  
  
/Kuja . . . Let us out. Or you'll be sorry . . ./  
  
"Sorry? What - what're you going to do . . .?" Kuja snarled furiously. "I don't even know what you're talking about!"  
  
/Let us go!/  
  
"How?!"  
  
/Then you asked for it . . ./ the voice breathed malevolently. The temperature in the room dropped several degrees. It took the first angel of death several seconds to realize that - in fact - the temperature in himself had dropped.  
  
And his cry rang out through the entire castle.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"So this is the thanks I get for letting you come along with me . . .?" Amarant drawled, glaring at the back of Lani's head. The female bandit sniffed dismissively and continued to skip ahead of her companion.  
  
"If you don't like it, go home!" she snapped, throwing Amarant a look over her shoulder. Now it was HIS turn to sniff dismissively. "Besides, I'm determined to see the rest of Alexandria before it gets blown up,"  
  
"Better hurry then . . ."  
  
Lani rolled her eyes and shifted her axe over to the other shoulder.  
  
"Hey, something's going on up there!" the bandit gasped, noticing a crowd of people in one of the nearby squares. "Let's go check it out!"  
  
Amarant folded his arms over his chest with boredom. "Yes . . . Let's . . ."  
  
In the middle of the square, at least twenty men were pulling something back with chains, shouting and tugging feverishly. An abnormally large Red Dragon was struggling against its bonds, clawing furiously at the ground and whipping its head every which way. It let out a jet of flames that forced part of the crowd to scatter. The men holding it back began to yell as their grip loosened on the creature's chains.  
  
"Someone get a restraint around its muzzle!" one of the men shouted, watching as the dragon began to beat its wings madly, shrieking in frustration. "Hurry!"  
  
Lani looked appalled. "A Red Dragon?!" she exclaimed. "But those all died with the shut-down of the Iifa Tree! There couldn't possibly be a Red Dragon alive!"  
  
Amarant nodded thoughtfully. "Zidane and Kuja killed them all . . ."  
  
"Sleep spells on the count of three!"  
  
Lani grimaced, pulling back. "Let's get out of here . . . Besides, I think Zidane may want to hear about this . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Megan dipped her quill into the ink well, frowning thoughtfully. How could she say her feelings without sounding rude . . . Sighing softly, she touched tip to paper and began to write.  
  
"Dear . . . Mom . . ." Megan hesitated, lifting her quill. /Now what?/ "I know . . . things sound bad . . . here in Alexandria . . . But . . . I really want . . . to stay. I know . . . I promised . . . only three days . . . But plans . . . do change. Please . . . do not . . . get mad. I met . . . an old friend . . . here in Alexandria. Do you . . . remember Amy? And Feather . . . Well . . . Let's just say . . . I met some of Feather's . . . family. We wish . . . to remain . . . in Alexandria . . . for at least . . . another . . . two days. Don't worry. We are fine. You're loving daughter . . . Megan," she smiled slightly, tapping her chin. "P . . . S . . . Feather is fine. And no . . . we haven't . . . been doing . . . anything naughty,"  
  
Megan lifted the paper, scanning it over one last time. "Perfect . . . Now I'll just get a local moogle to send it off and everything will be fine,"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Zidane was heading towards his bedroom when he heard Kuja's cry. The blonde froze, his insides turning to ice. Heart beating like mad, he whipped around in the other direction and tore down the hall, jumping the last few steps of the stairs, and flying towards the infirmary. All he could think about was what could have made Kuja shout out like that. When he got to the room, he pressed his ear against the door, frowning. There was an odd sound, like someone tearing at fabric coming from inside. That did it . . . Zidane flung open the door, not sure what horrors would meet him on the other side.  
  
And sure enough . . .  
  
Kuja was sitting on the bed at the far end of the corridor-like room, hunched over as if in pain, body shaking. He had his hands over his face and Zidane could see that Kuja had clawed the sheets to shreds.  
  
"K-Kuja . . .?" Zidane acknowledged tentatively. Slowly, his brother lowered his fingers, body trembling violently. Then the genome's eyes whipped onto Zidane, a beastly growl rising in his throat.  
  
"Aaaaaagh!" Zidane clapped his hands over his mouth in horror. The entire space within the first angel of death's eye-sockets was a glowing blood- red. Kuja let out a soft moan, hugging himself and rocking back and forth.  
  
"Zidane . . ." he choked out, blood dribbling from his mouth. "Don't . . . Don't come near me! I . . . I don't know what I might do!"  
  
"What's going on in here?!" Dr. Tot came rushing down the steps outside, his night-cap still resting upon his feathery head. The old scholar squeezed past Zidane through the doorway and stopped dead in his tracks.  
  
"Oh no . . . Zidane! Get out of here! NOW!!!"  
  
"But - "  
  
Kuja's body convulsed for a moment, blood pouring down his chin. Out of nowhere, the sorcerer fell over on the bed - crouched down on all fours - and his flaming eyes rolled onto Zidane, tinged with slight madness. A twisted grin spread across his crimson-stained lips.  
  
"Fool . . ." he sung in his eerie neutral voice. ". . . Thinking Kuja could hold us back . . ." he laughed maniacally, head thrown back. Several strands of hair lifted into the air. From root to tip, they turned a deep rose-red. "It's Kuja's own fault! He meddled in affairs that didn't concern him! After all, he'd be dead by the time everything came together!"  
  
Tot gripped Zidane's arm fiercely. "Keep your mouth shut, kid!" he snapped. It was most unlike him to treat Zidane that way but somehow the genome knew it was for the best. Kuja crawled almost catlike off the bed, rising slowly. The yellow aura was surrounding him once more.  
  
"We oppose all who stand in Kuja's way . . ." the silver-haired man breathed, maddened eyes roving onto Zidane in an almost hungry manner. "All replacements must be terminated . . ."  
  
Zidane took a nervous step back. Kuja smirked. His canines seemed almost fang-like. Suddenly, he sprung into the air, palms thrown forward.  
  
"NOW DIE!!!!!"  
  
FWOOM! A jet of yellow light blasted Zidane out the door, knocking Tot to the floor with a thud beneath him. Zidane scrambled angrily to his feet, daggers at the ready and muttering a quick apology to Dr. Tot.  
  
"Zidane, no!" Tot shrieked, retrieving his glasses from the floor. "If you hurt him it will make them more powerful!"  
  
Zidane was getting fed up with all the mysteries. "Why?!" he screamed, slamming one of his daggers into the wall. "What is wrong with my brother?! What are they doing to him?!"  
  
"Watch out!!!"  
  
Another beam of light whizzed over Zidane's head, blowing his hair back off his face. Kuja floated near the ceiling, hands still smoking. There was a commotion from outside as people came running down the stairs, obviously drawn by the sounds emanating from the infirmary.  
  
"Zidane?!" Garnet headed the rest of the group. All of them appeared extremely scared. Lani and Amarant looked as if they had just come from outside - exceedingly and rather dirty.  
  
"Dagger, get out of here!" Zidane shouted furiously over his shoulder, blocking the doorway. Garnet protested immediately.  
  
"What?! Why should I?!"  
  
BOOM! Another explosion rocked the outside threshold, knocking nearly everyone off their feet. Garnet squealed and grabbed Zidane just as the dust cleared from inside. As the others rose, eyes wide, they took in the sight of Kuja floating in the air with his eyes burning red. The sound of someone else coming down the stairs and jumping the last few steps reached their ears.  
  
Megan emerged at the bottom of the stairs, eyes wide as she soaked in the sight before her.  
  
"Oh my god . . . " she whispered, clearly not believing what she was seeing.  
  
Kuja crossed his legs in mid-air as if sitting upon an invisible chair. He yawned openly, twirling a flame on one finger. "You mortals bore us . . ." he teased, flipping a strand of crimson-highlighted silver hair over one shoulder. His eyes hardened as he glanced over the frightened crew. "Which of you here is capable of control over the Invincible or its counterpart?"  
  
Vivi blinked in surprise. "C-counterpart . . .?"  
  
Kuja rolled his glowing eyes, twisting a strand of hair around his finger. "Yes, the Indomitable! Have you not heard of it?"  
  
"No, we haven't!" Freya snapped, looking murderous. Kuja chuckled, his laugh echoing eerily around the long corridor-like room.  
  
"So you mean to tell me none of you here knows how to operate the Invincible?"  
  
All eyes fell on Zidane. He could feel the blood draining from his face. Why did Kuja - or the people speaking from within him - want to know who could control the Invincible? Unfortunately, Kuja already seemed to know the answer.  
  
"Ah . . . so it's the second angel of death again . . . Then I'm afraid you must die,"  
  
Eiko jumped up and down in a fit of rage. "Why should Zidane die for knowing how to operate the Invincible?!" she shrieked, pointing an accusatory finger at the sorcerer. "Your own brother!"  
  
Kuja laughed, holding his hands in front of his face and forming a glowing yellow orb of light within them. "Well, he's not OUR brother, is he?" the genome mocked. "And when he dies . . . perhaps he can join us . . . Wouldn't that be wonderful? Two brothers never to part even in death,"  
  
"This is ludicrous . . ." Steiner mumbled, gripping Beatrix's hand. "This man is insane. Nothing he speaks makes sense . . ."  
  
Megan remained speechless, frozen stock-still. She couldn't even move. Dr. Tot was searching desperately through his mind for a way to solve the problem before them. But for the first time in his life, the great teacher of Alexandria was drawing a blank.  
  
/The purple-eyed woman . . ./ Zidane thought desperately. /She knows about this . . . Why did Garland have to take her?!/ His musing was rudely interrupted by a sudden flurry of lance-like icicle shooting in his direction. The blonde genome cried out, dropping to the floor as the icy needles shredded his clothes and pierced his skin like a million tiny claws. Impaled to the ground, Zidane simply closed his eyes and let the spears slash him mercilessly.  
  
"Zidane!" Garnet screamed, lunging towards her fiancé. Beatrix caught the queen in her arms and pulled her back hurriedly. When the icicles stopped coming, Zidane was lying upon the ground, dozens of open wounds leaking blood upon the floor.  
  
"Zidane! Zidane, are you alright?!" Lani shrieked, throwing herself down next to her friend. Zidane grimaced, pulling himself up into a sitting position and nodding numbly.  
  
"Yeah . . . Yeah, I'm fine," he lied instantly. "It looks a lot worse than it feels,"  
  
Kuja sighed dramatically. "Terribly sorry . . . But I'm afraid you really must die,"  
  
"Why?!" Garnet cried, tears beginning to stream down her face. She managed to struggle out of Beatrix's grasp and stood there, fingers balled into fists, brown eyes flashing furiously at Kuja. "Why must he die?! What did he ever do to YOU?!"  
  
"It's not what he DID to us!" Kuja exclaimed as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "It's what he COULD make us do AGAIN!"  
  
"Which is WHAT?!"  
  
Zidane dragged himself to his feet, clutching at a particularly nasty gash across his left shoulder. "I swear I would never do anything to you . . . people," he made a face as if the plural word had a bitter taste to it. Kuja smiled knowingly.  
  
"If you want your brother back, you will . . ."  
  
Tot gasped, realization suddenly dawning in his eyes. "The Invincible!" he cried, spectacles popping off his beak in horror. "Zidane has the Invincible . . . And Garland has the Indomitable . . .! Both are a threat to them . . . and Kuja is sanctuary!"  
  
"Very good, old man," Kuja chuckled, waving an arm as if blowing the comment away. He no longer floated in a sitting position. A wind was picking up in the room as it had on previous occasions. "And we've been under orders for FAR too long. Well, tell Garland he can keep his precious genomes dumb and his precious plans out of OUR - WAY!!!" Kuja blasted up into the air, breaking a hole in the roof and vanishing out of sight.  
  
Fratley cursed angrily, grabbing Freya's arm. "It's our duty to stop this!" he shouted, glancing around for moral support. The others seemed to agree but the crew quickly turned to Zidane for confirmation. The genome hesitated, wincing at the pain in his arm, and slowly nodded.  
  
"Don't hurt him . . ." Megan pleaded in the background, tears sparkling in her eyes. "Please . . . Don't hurt him . . ." she sank down to the steps, looking faint. Zidane blinked, then stared down at his shredded body.  
  
"Oh . . . Oh! Oh, Megan I'm so sorry!" he apologized. "I forgot about your . . . phobia . . ."  
  
Megan was too nauseous to answer. She just waved him away, looking rather green.  
  
"Phobia?" Steiner queried curiously.  
  
"She's afraid of blood," Zidane explained, shrugging.  
  
"Oh,"  
  
A scream from upstairs startled the others out of their reverie. All eyes turned to the ceiling.  
  
"He's still in the castle!" Beatrix gasped. "He must be attacking my soldiers!"  
  
"Well come ON then!" Lani snapped, pulling her axe off its strap and brushing past Megan up the stairs. In turn, Megan leaned over, hand over her mouth. The others scrambled urgently up the steps, some unsheathing weapons and others muttering quick apologies to the brunette as they passed.  
  
The door slammed shut at the top of the stairs.  
  
Megan scrambled to the nearest bathroom.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Crystal yawned as she leaned back against the door inside the Alexandrian entrance-hall. She played absently with her hair, sick of doing early morning guard duty. The soldier had been up all freakin' night! She sighed, closing her eyes.  
  
Something clattered nearby. Crystal groaned, squinting across the entrance hall in the direction of the noise.  
  
/Must be a bird trapped in here. Probably knocked over a suit of armor . . ./  
  
A swish seemed to confirm this theory. But suddenly, a flash of light burst from the hall on the right. Frowning, Crystal straightened herself and unsheathed her sword.  
  
"Hello?!" she called, squinting through the darkness accumulated in the far hallway through her too-big visor. A soft chuckle reached her ears. The soldier couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman. Crystal called out again. Suddenly . . .  
  
"DIE!!!"  
  
SPLAT!  
  
Crystal screamed, slumping back against the door. Blood poured from her cracked armor, sword dropping uselessly to the floor. Kuja landed lightly nearby, licking the blood from his fingers.  
  
"Out of my way," he snapped, kicking the door open and sliding through before it had become entirely passable yet.  
  
"KUJA!!!"  
  
Zidane and the others skidded into the entrance-hall, looking around desperately for the sorcerer. With a stifled gasp, Beatrix dropped to her knees next to the soldier thrown across the floor, her visible eye flashing angrily. Zidane saw this and clapped a hand down on her shoulder, face sympathetic.  
  
"Someone you knew?"  
  
"New recruit," Beatrix grunted. "Crystal Tan . . . Damn it . . ."  
  
A shriek emitted from outside. Garnet immediately flung herself at the door, bursting out onto the new morning grounds. The others quickly followed. The soldier who typically took people back and forth across the moat was lying in the gondola, unmoving. Beatrix was the first to the shore, drawing the boat in by a rope. This time, however, the woman breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
"She's not dead," the general announced, glancing over the Alexandrian soldier. "Looks more like Kuja just put a sleep spell on her or something . . ."  
  
"Thank Shiva," Eiko muttered, looking furious. "When I get my hands on that man, I'll - "  
  
Beatrix shook her head, lifting the soldier out of the gondola and placing her on the shore. She signaled for the others to get in. "No one's going to kill 'that man,' understood?" Beatrix snagged the paddles as the companions clambered inside. "Kuja probably has no idea what those people are doing. Even HE wasn't this ruthless,"  
  
Vivi straightened his hat nervously. It felt like they were chasing down the Grim Reaper . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ummei had never been so surprised in his life when Garland informed him that he was to release prisoner #2 that day.  
  
"But why?"  
  
"Interrogation," Garland snapped, shoving Ummei out of the way as he stormed down one of the halls of the enormous air-ship. The pair passed a group of whispering geonomes whose green eyes followed them the whole way by.  
  
"But shouldn't she at least be tied down or something?" Garland rolled his colorless eyes.  
  
"She's not going anywhere," he stated firmly, flinging open the door to the control-room. "Her only means of escape are through her god damn telekinesis, and I've got Drakja working on that,"  
  
"But . . . how?"  
  
"He's already activated the blocking part of the Metsubo,"  
  
Ummei's face was a storm of disappointment. "But I thought I was allowed to do that,"  
  
Garland sighed. He checked the coordination on the radar absently as he spoke. "I said only if she got out of hand. And she hasn't so there's been no reason for you to use that thing . . ."  
  
/So not fair!/  
  
"Besides, I wouldn't trust you with it in a million years . . ."  
  
"But - "  
  
"No buts. Now shut up and get out of here. I've got another segment of the mission to plan,"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
When the crew finally managed to spot Kuja, he was standing at the dock of the Alexandrian harbor, blood-red eyes focused intently upon the closed-off space at the edge of the grounds. Unfortunately, he managed to slip into a crowd at the docks and vanished.  
  
"Shit!" Zidane took off after his elder brother, the others quickly following. They realized, suddenly, that they were heading towards the harbor offices.  
  
And then they found him . . .  
  
A large building rose up from the dirt, made of simple gray bricks with three words engraved over the dull, steel door:  
  
AIRSHIP HOLDING FACILITY  
  
"He's going after the Invincible!" Freya gasped, pointing a finger at the sorcerer.  
  
"He can't!" Garnet exclaimed, eyes wide. "He doesn't have a key!"  
  
Kuja, from the other end of the harbor, glanced over his shoulder at them and smirked. Walking briskly forward, he held out a hand and slipped right in through the side of the building's wall. A gasp arose from the crowds at the wharf who had been watching the newcomer suspiciously. The guards stationed around the building hadn't even given the man a thought. Now, however, they started to draw weapons. Beatrix quickly yelled at them to stop. They'd already lost enough soldiers that day . . .  
  
"Kuja melted into building!" said Quina blankly. Zidane cursed furiously.  
  
"He's Barrier Transmigratory!" the genome snarled, chastising himself for not remembering such an important thing. Beatrix rounded on him in a horrified rage.  
  
"Kuja can walk through WALLS?!!" the general fully understood the term from having to deal with certain ghost-like monsters during training.  
  
"Um . . . yeah. Guess I should've mentioned that, huh?"  
  
"Zidane," Lani sighed, rubbing her forehead in aggravation. "You really are an - idiot,"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kuja's fingers glided over the smooth side of the Invincible, enflamed eyes flashing hungrily.  
  
"Never again . . ." he hissed, his other-worldly voice dripping with quiet fury. "Not if we have any say in this . . ."  
  
He stepped over to the portal on the side of the ship and transported himself into the control room. Quietly, he exited the area and slipped down the hall towards the middle staircase. An eerie red glow was emitting from its depths, however the light was much fainter than it had once been. Kuja's fang-like teeth glinted in the dim atmosphere. He ascended the steps slowly, trying to contain his excitement.  
  
Suddenly, he stopped. Body shaking, the sorcerer dropped to his knees, clutching his chest in agony. A voice rose from within his throat - completely male this time.  
  
"Stop - IT!" Kuja's eyes flickered to blue. Then the red overtook them once more.  
  
"No! NEVER!!!"  
  
The warlock's fingers reached out towards the red light glowing dully before him, groping desperately towards its luminescence. He groaned in pain, dragging himself forward, fangs clenched in frustration.  
  
"Don't . . . interfere . . . We must . . . deactivate . . . ugh . . ."  
  
Kuja's eyes rolled up into his head and he collapsed to the cold tile floor.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: NOOOO! KUJA! I so cruel . . . I still talking like Quina/Jar Jar Binks. No can stop. God that's annoying. Anyways . . . Poor Kujaku. He's so messed up now. And I didn't want this story to get angsty but I guess it's kinda headin' in that direction. Oh well. It kinda has its angst up and downs. And right now it's WAY UP! *sigh* Please review! I'm dying . . . DYING!  
  
*_- Black Mage Dad *_-  
  
P.S. Whoa . . . I almost signed my REAL name there. That would've been silly ^_^ Wanna know what it is? 'Tain't no secret . . . It's in my bio, la. 


	19. The Origins of Megan Yorokobi

IMPORTANT NOTE!:  
  
MAKE SURE YOU ANSWER THE QUESTION AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS CHAPTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I HAVE TO KNOW THE ANSWER BECAUSE IT AFFECTS A BIG PART OF THE PLOT! SO PLEASE ANSWER THE QUESTION IN A REVIEW! IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT YOU DO SO!  
  
A/N: Aaaaaagh! I caught a virus! I mean . . . my computer caught a virus ^_^ It was so sad! I had to back-up everything and . . . and . . . blah . . . This chapter is sooooooo important! I can't even stress how important this chapter is! It changes EVERYTHING! So ya can't skip it ;-) A lot is going to start making sense now. And the plot thickens! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!  
  
Disclaimer: I would LOVE to say that I own Final Fantasy. But NO! I cannot!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Too much hope is the opposite of despair . . . An overpowering love may consume you in the end."  
  
- Vincent Valentine, Final Fantasy VII  
  
"Kuja?! KUJA!!!"  
  
Zidane ran desperately around the top floor of the Invincible, searching frantically for his lost brother. The crew had split up and spread out; some searching the Airship Holding Facility, others scanning the Invincible. Zidane had thought Kuja would be easy to spot; just follow the trail of destruction. But it appeared that the silver-haired sorcerer hadn't done anything! The airship looked perfectly fine! The blonde stopped at the top of the middle staircase, peering down into its deep, murky depths.  
  
/A red light? Of course! The place where the souls are stored!/  
  
"Kuja!" Zidane screamed, leaning forward and gripping the railing for support. There was no response save the cold, numbing silence.  
  
"Zidane!" Lani shouted from the control-room, peering around the door- frame. "Do you think it's possible Kuja left this building entirely?!"  
  
"Impossible . . ." Zidane whispered to himself. "We SAW him go in here!"  
  
/Could he have gone downstairs? But there's nothing down there . . . The souls all went back into the cycle. Hmm . . ./  
  
Tentatively, Zidane placed a foot on the step beneath him. He knew it was dangerous to leave the top floor by himself, but something told him he was safe. Climbing down the stairs, the genome shielded his eyes from the burning red glow.  
  
Once he had cleared the more powerful rays of light, the outline of a deep scoop-like bowl (the inner-eye of the ship) came into view. Lying upon the floor before it, he saw the silhouette of . . . a body?!  
  
"Kuja!" Zidane gasped. He immediately flew down the steps, throwing himself upon the ground next to his fallen brother. Fingers trembling, Zidane turned the man over. The warlock's eyes were partially open, the faint red glow still burning beneath the lids. Zidane knew it was dangerous to be near Kuja in that state . . . but he couldn't just leave him there!  
  
"Beatrix!" Zidane called out, trying to see to the top of the stairs in the light. "Beatrix, c'mere! I FOUND HIM!"  
  
There was some excited movements from above and the outline of a shapely woman appeared at the top of the steps.  
  
"You did?! Are you alright?!"  
  
"I'm fine! But HE'S not! I need you to come down here and help me!"  
  
There was a moment of hesitation in which Zidane heard the general whispering to someone else. Finally, her voice floated back into the eerie room. "Alright, we're coming down! Lani's getting the others!"  
  
Zidane nervously poked Kuja's hand. It was ice cold. The sorcerer appeared to be unconscious . . . But . . .  
  
"Zidane, don't touch him!" Beatrix commanded, stepping through the glow and coming up next to her companion. Behind her, Zidane could see Vivi, Quina, and Garnet.  
  
"I-Is he dead . . .?" Vivi whispered, instinctively moving in close to Garnet. Beatrix crouched down next to Kuja, peering into his eyes.  
  
"They're still enflamed . . ." she muttered. "Which means if we wake him up . . ."  
  
"He'll try and kill Zidane . . ." Garnet completed the sentence, frowning. Beatrix leaned forward, biting her lip.  
  
"I don't think we have any choice . . ." she said finally. The others looked at her in surprise. Quina didn't seem to like this idea at all.  
  
"That man insane! He best off asleep!"  
  
General Beatrix didn't respond. Gently, she placed a hand on Kuja's forehead and muttered "Cure . . ." Small strands of light glided off her finger-tips and into Kuja. A faint glow spread over him for a second, and then vanished with a swish. Beatrix patiently pulled her hand back and waited.  
  
"Uh . . ."  
  
Kuja stirred for a moment. Zidane poised himself, ready to drag the sorcerer back down if he had to. But the crimson luminescence in Kuja's eyes faded, leaving nothing but the whites. Behind them, the remaining members of the party were jumping the last few steps, voices hushed in awe. Then the warlock groaned and opened his eyes completely.  
  
"Wha . . . What's . . ."  
  
And for the rest of Zidane's life, he would never forget that horrified look that passed over Kuja's face when he realized where he was.  
  
"No!" the sorcerer cried, sitting up so suddenly that Zidane fell backwards. Kuja's hands flew to his mouth. He looked over his shoulder at the scoop. "No!" he repeated. "Oh god, I didn't!" he turned desperately to the others, now-blue eyes wide. "I couldn't have!" Zidane noticed that Kuja was shivering.  
  
"Beatrix . . . Let's just get out of here. We can deal with this later,"  
  
No one spoke. Kuja still seemed to be in shock. "Did I . . . kill anyone . . .?" he rasped, tears brimming his eyes. The silence increased. It felt like a giant hand was squeezing the Invincible; closing in the walls. Beatrix stood slowly, sighing and brushing a strand of bronze hair over her shoulder.  
  
"One soldier . . ." said the general, shrugging. "But no charges will be pressed. You didn't know what you were doing, after all. Now let's get out of here. The people outside are getting suspicious,"  
  
There were several murmurs of assent and the crew climbed the stairs, leaving Zidane and Kuja alone in the eerie, glowing room. After a moment, Zidane spoke again.  
  
"Can you stand?" the blonde genome queried, turning to his brother. Kuja nodded slowly, pulling himself to his feet. His eyes were hollow. He seemed to be lost in thought. They headed towards the stairs. Kuja stumbled slightly and shut his eyes. Zidane hesitated.  
  
"Are you SURE you're alright?"  
  
Kuja bit his lip. "I-I'm fine. Really. Let's go,"  
  
The red glow was receding in the background as if their exiting presence was causing the light to die. Zidane noticed this but chose not to mention it. He was too concerned about Kuja. Did the others really believe him? Kuja COULDN'T have known what he was doing! Could he?  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"You've got until the count of three . . ." Garland drawled, drumming his fingers on the armrest of the throne. ". . . To tell me the specified location . . ."  
  
The violet-eyed woman spat at his feet, snarling. "Why the hell should I tell YOU?!" she snapped.  
  
"If Garland commands it, you will do it!" Drakja shouted from behind, cracking his whip against the cold, steel tile floor of the ship.  
  
"I don't KNOW where they are!" the woman shrieked, rubbing her wrists together behind her back in a feeble attempt to break the chains binding her. Drakja slapped her hard and she fell to the floor, whimpering. A trickle of blood rolled down her lip.  
  
"YOU WILL DO AS GARLAND COMMANDS YOU!!!" Drakja screamed, kicking his prisoner hard in the side. The violet-eyed woman groaned but didn't make any sounds of breaking. She'd be a hard one to crack . . .  
  
"I would NEVER reveal information to the likes of YOU!" she choked, glaring into Garland's white, colorless eyes. "And you can't make me!"  
  
"Oh, but I can," Garland said softly, his voice carrying the faintest trace of a threat. "YOU may be unable to use your powers right now, however . . . I can," the woman spat again, growling lightly. Garland frowned for a moment, thinking.  
  
"Drakja . . ." the Terran leader beckoned the geonome over to the throne. "What if you used our little experiment on her and then reversed its effects. I would have complete access to her information . . . would I not?"  
  
"I-I think so," Drakja seemed rather unsure. "But shouldn't we test it out on someone more . . . dispensable . . . first? Didn't you want to try it out on the first angel of death?"  
  
Garland didn't answer right away. He was staring down at the woman sprawled before his feet, face passive. He knew what she was thinking. She was aware of what her captors wanted to do to her.  
  
"You're right," Garland said finally, much to Drakja's relief. "Her information is too valuable. One slip up and we could lose it,"  
  
The violet-eyed woman pursed her lips, glaring. "Fool . . ." she hissed. Garland ignored the prisoner.  
  
"I've got a better idea . . ." the faintest hint of a smile crossed the Terran leader's aged face but quickly vanished into the deep brooding that was forever Garland. "We will simply weed it out . . . one place at a time. Eventually, we will find what we need. And . . ." Garland's seemingly sightless eyes lit up. "I will gain back my power in preparation for the final experiment,"  
  
Drakja blinked, then laughed. "Brilliant, sir! Brilliant!" he applauded, receiving many death-glares from the violet-eyed woman at the same time. "I love it! Shall we begin today?"  
  
Garland smirked, nodding. "Absolutely . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Standing upon the steps of Alexandria Castle, Freya watched the soldiers load the body of Crystal Tan into a sack. They carried her to a wagon waiting outside and dumped the corpse in the back. Freya's whiskers twitched but she said nothing.  
  
"'Tis a shame, is it not, my dear?"  
  
Freya glanced over her shoulder at Fratley, who came up beside her and sighed. The two watched the procession outside the castle sadly.  
  
"This is dejá vu . . ." Freya whispered, gritting her teeth together. "Every time that man is around . . . someone perishes . . ."  
  
"I don't think we can blame Kuja for this one . . ." Fratley said slowly, resting against his spear.  
  
"Give me a break!" Freya's voice was harsher than she had intended. "Kuja is a man of cunning and great evil. He would stop at nothing to continue the havoc that was torn out from beneath his feet years ago. It all makes sense to me! Kuja wanted to go to the Invincible so that he could regain control of it for more souls. And then he plans on killing Zidane to get rid of his replacement! It is just SO like him!"  
  
"Beatrix seems to have faith in him," Fratley pointed out, glancing at his girlfriend out of the corner of his eye. "And I would trust Beatrix with my life,"  
  
"Beatrix is not always right . . ."  
  
"She has intuition, Freya dear. As do I,"  
  
"Hmph," Freya felt particularly embittered. /You do not even remember our childhood . . . Don't talk to ME about intuition . . ./  
  
Nearby, Garnet watched the flickering emotions on Freya's face.  
  
"I know how you feel . . ." she grumbled to herself, watching the cart ride off into the sunset. "That man is evil. If not for Zidane, he would be rotting in a jail-cell right - now,"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"So . . . Is it alright if I just leave you here?" Zidane queried, glancing nervously at Kuja as they approached Alexandria Castle. Kuja nodded numbly, brushed the hair out of his face, and trudged up the steps in an extremely automatic state. Zidane watched his brother go, then went running around the back way to see if he could find Megan without the sorcerer hanging around.  
  
But SHE found HIM.  
  
"Zidane?! Oh my god, it IS you!"  
  
"Megan?"  
  
The young brunette threw her arms around Zidane's neck, squeezing him till he was blue. "Oh, Zidane! I don't know what just happened but please - PLEASE - help Feather!"  
  
Zidane managed to slither out of Megan's grasp enough to breathe. "Megan," he choked, rubbing his sore ribcage. "What are you talking about?"  
  
Megan blinked, eyes shiny behind her glasses. "I-I don't know . . . B-but something was wrong with him! I-I remember when I saw these monsters . . . They would corrupt people's minds and - and then the person would DIE!" she dissolved into tears once more, burying her face in Zidane's chest and causing him to blush profusely.  
  
/Whoo . . . I hope Dagger's not nearby . . ./ the genome thought nervously. /She'd kill me!/  
  
"Here Megan," he offered. "Why don't we go back into the castle. It's silly to talk out here. The sun's already starting to go down,"  
  
Megan pulled back, sniffling and wiping her nose on one sleeve. "S-so he's not being corrupted by monsters? And - and he's not gonna die?"  
  
Zidane laughed, slinging an arm around the young woman's shoulders. "Of course not!"  
  
"Oh . . ." Megan let out a shaky breath. "I-I guess that's good news . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Erm . . . You guys wouldn't mind if we stopped somewhere, would you? Looks like rain . . ."  
  
Getsuyo-Bi gave Mr. 41 a dejected look but the others nodded. They'd been traveling for days and were horribly exhausted. The boat-ride across the ocean to the Mist Continent had been bad enough (all six of Vivi's children had gotten sea-sick much to Mr. 41's dismay) and the poor little tykes could only travel so much a day.  
  
"What's the closest town?" the elder mage queried, clutching the brim of his hat and glancing around. All he saw was grass, grass, and more grass.  
  
"There's something over there!" Kayo-Bi pointed out, spotting what appeared to be a small settlement a few miles away. Mr. 41's amber eyes widened as he realized where they were.  
  
"Why, that must be Dali!" he exclaimed, feeling the mounting excitement inside. "Alexandria must be only a few miles away! We've almost made it!" Vivi's children cheered. However, Mr. 41 suddenly felt the disappointment hit him over the head like a sack of bricks.  
  
"Wait . . . We can't go there . . . It's DALI! They MADE us,"  
  
"Not US, Mr. 41, sir," Nichio-Bi piped up, tugging on Mr. 41's sleeve. "Mikoto-sama made us!"  
  
Mr. 41 groaned. "Oh man . . . Can't we just camp out? I don't want to go back to that stinkin' town . . . With its egg machines . . . And chocobo wheels . . . And barrels . . . And windmills . . ."  
  
Vivi's children all looked at each other in surprise, eyes bright.  
  
"WINDMILLS?!" they cried. "Oh, PLEASE let us go! Please! Please! Please! Please! Please! Please! Please! Please! Please! Please! Please! Please! Please!"  
  
"No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No,"  
  
"Please! Please! Please! Please! Please!"  
  
"No. No. No. No. No,"  
  
"PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE!"  
  
"No. No. No."  
  
"PLEEEEEEEEEEEEASE! PLEASE!!! PLEASE!!!  
  
"ALRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!!!!!!"  
  
Mr. 41 sat down in a huff, straightening his hat in distress. "You children will be the death of me . . ."  
  
"Yay!" the tykes all threw their arms around Mr. 41 gratefully.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Zidane escorted Megan back to her guest-room, ushering the young woman inside before Garnet noticed. Closing the door softly, the genome gave an embarrassed sort of smile.  
  
"So . . ." he began, scratching the back of his neck. "Sorry about all that,"  
  
"'s alright . . ." Megan mumbled, plunking onto the bed. "I was just worried, that's all,"  
  
"K - I mean - Feather will be fine," Zidane assured the young girl, sitting down in a chair nearby.  
  
"But what happened?" Megan begged, sniffling.  
  
"Well . . . we, er, kinda don't know,"  
  
"Oh. Well then how can you say he'll be fine?!"  
  
Zidane blushed. "I don't think its anything serious. He's not insane,"  
  
"He tried to KILL you!"  
  
"Sibling rivalry?" Zidane offered, the red in his cheeks deepening. Megan rolled her eyes and collapsed back on the bed, groaning.  
  
"I'm so confused . . . I don't know WHAT to think . . . Sometimes I think I don't know Feather at all!" Zidane's eyes widened.  
  
/Flash/  
  
"What do you want me to do?"  
  
"You have to - HAVE TO - make your brother tell that girl who he really is,"  
  
"You mean Megan?"  
  
"Yes. Do whatever it takes,"  
  
/Flash/  
  
"Shoot . . ."  
  
"What?"  
  
Zidane straightened himself in the chair, shifting uncomfortably. "Megan, I was just wondering. Your relationship with Feather . . . what is it?"  
  
Megan rolled onto her side, holding her head up with one hand. "I dunno . . . friends?"  
  
"Nothing more?"  
  
She shrugged. "I don't think so . . ."  
  
"Oh," Zidane curled his tail around his ankle thoughtfully. /What am I doing?/  
  
Megan sighed, rolling to her back again and stretching luxuriously like a cat. "I feel kind of guilty, though," she said suddenly, staring absently at the ceiling. "Feather pesters me sometimes about where I come from. And I keep lying or avoiding the subject . . ."  
  
Zidane glanced at the brunette with interest. "Really? Why? You from the slums or something?"  
  
Megan laughed. "Of course not!"  
  
"What then?"  
  
Megan's lips twitched into a small smile and she gave Zidane a strange look.  
  
"I don't know why, but I feel I can trust you with this stuff,"  
  
Zidane smirked. "I am a golden vault. Tell me what you wish,"  
  
Megan yawned, resting one arm on her stomach and the other behind her head. "I really should tell Feather," she said sadly. "I already told him I'm not from Katei,"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Yup. I actually come from a small city near the northern tip of the Outer Continent,"  
  
Zidane raised an eyebrow. "There aren't any cities up there,"  
  
"Well that's what's confusing Feather!" Megan exclaimed, chuckling. "There isn't one now, but there was. I told him it was destroyed by tornadoes but - "  
  
"That's a lie?"  
  
"Bingo,"  
  
"What happened then?" Zidane's voice was hushed with interest. His eyes sparkled. Megan smiled bemusedly at him.  
  
"It's not a happy tale," she explained. "And I sure as hell don't remember it well . . ." she exhaled slowly, trying to think back thirteen years. "When I was nine, I was living with my mother and father. That was all. My grandparents on my dad's side lived nearby. Things were wonderful. Then one day . . . poof! It was all gone,"  
  
"What happened?" Zidane whispered, leaning forward eagerly. Megan's eyes went slightly out of focus.  
  
"All I remember . . . is an eye,"  
  
". . . An eye?"  
  
"Uh huh. This big red eye in the sky. It came and the next thing I knew, everything was in flames. My parents ran for it. Big mistake. My father was impaled on falling debris. I was really lucky, though. He was holding me and the chunk missed. Bleeding to death, he handed me over to my mother and grandmother. She had found us running. Unfortunately, Grandpa was already gone. Burned to death. Then my mother and grandmother took me and fled the town,"  
  
Zidane felt an icy chill in the pit of his stomach as if he'd swallowed a block of ice and it was slowly melting there. "A-and this town . . . Was it near the Iifa Tree?"  
  
"Yeah . . . So?"  
  
/This CAN'T be happening . . ./  
  
Zidane took a deep breath, ready to the take the fatal plunge. "Was this town called . . . Madain Sari, by any chance,"  
  
Megan sat up abruptly, eyes wide. "How did you know?!"  
  
Zidane let out a groan of horror and gripped his hair. /Just count to ten . . . It's not the end of the world . . ./  
  
"Zidane?"  
  
/WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?! SHE'S A GOD DAMN SUMMONER!!!!!/  
  
Zidane kicked his legs furiously, mimicking a minor temper tantrum. "Not happening," he mumbled. "This is NOT happening,"  
  
Megan stood up tentatively, looking nervous. "Hey, you okay?"  
  
Zidane quickly stopped, took a deep breath, and looked up slowly into the eyes of the seemingly normal girl before him.  
  
/She doesn't have a horn. And I've never seen her use magic./  
  
"Can you . . . summon eidolons?" the genome queried, locking eyes with the young girl. She, in turn, blinked.  
  
"Eido . . . what?"  
  
Zidane's face clouded over in confusion. "Eidolons. Great big monsters. You . . . don't know what I'm talking about, do you?"  
  
Megan looked thoughtful for a moment, chewing on a fingernail. Then she burst out laughing, head thrown back.  
  
"You mean Guardian Forces?!" she collapsed into a chair, crowing with laughter. "You think I . . . can summon Guardian Forces?!"  
  
"But I thought ALL summoners from Madain Sari could," Zidane admitted innocently. Megan smirked.  
  
"Well I COULD. That is, before my mother screwed up,"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Yeah, see, during our journey to Katei, my mother and grandmother decided we'd all cut off our horns to blend into the rest of Gaia better. But they cut mine too deep. I've lost all connection to Guardians and all forms of magic,"  
  
Zidane stood up, moving in towards the young girl. "No magic? So you're not any kind of mage or anything?"  
  
"Nope."  
  
Zidane brushed some of the hair out of Megan's face, staring at the spot where the horn should've been.  
  
"Fascinating . . ."  
  
Then he stopped. A memory emerged in the genome's mind that he hadn't had in years. Something Kuja had once said while seemingly on his death-bed.  
  
/Flash/  
  
I did it . . . I destroyed their village . . . I was fourteen years old . . . Garland made me . . . I'm so sorry! I wanted to tell the queen . . . and the little summoner . . . but . . . but . . .  
  
/Flash/  
  
Zidane stumbled backwards, hands over his mouth. "Oh holy shit,"  
  
Megan blinked, touching her forehead. "What? Am I getting acne or something?"  
  
"No. No, it's not that,"  
  
"Then what?"  
  
Zidane looked wildly at the door. "Listen, I've REALLY got to go. We'll talk later!" and he tore out of the room so fast that a breeze ruffled the curtains. Zidane cursed furiously as he ran.  
  
/This is going to be harder than I thought . . ./  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: Ah, a not-ridiculously-long chapter. Hasn't been one of those in awhile. Anyhow . . . yeesh! What's Kuja gonna do now? Or should I say: what's Megan gonna do now? When she finds out who Kuja is? *Cackles maniacally* I am just SOOOOOOO evil! And now for the most important thing!  
  
PLEASE ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION:  
  
If you remember the story of Terra, then you know that Kuja is simply a recreation of a previous Terran (Saishoja). Kuja said he wasn't sure if Drakja (the villain) is the real Drakja from Terra or a remake. WHAT DO YOU THINK? IS DRAKJA THE ORIGINAL OR NOT? PLEEEEEEEEEASE TELL ME!  
  
P.S. Yay! Today's my birthday! Bwahahahaha! I'm FINALLY fourteen! *runs in happy circles* 


	20. Bar Battle

A/N: Aah . . . Chapter twenty. Another landmark! Me so very happy ^_^ I start school tomorrow so I had to post this one nice and fast. The updates might be slowed down a little (I'm starting high school this year!) so don't fret! I'm hoping there won't be any visible change, but if it happens, I apologize. Anyways . . . ON WITH THE STORY!  
  
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy is too cool to be owned by me . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Garland's fist slammed down furiously on the Indomitable's control console. Drakja hesitated in the background. He made sure his head was down submissively in case Garland turned around and decided to take his anger out on the geonome.  
  
"Sir . . . Is there anything I can do?" asked Drakja tentatively, tail sweeping the floor with nerves. Garland whipped around so bullet-like that Drakja jumped.  
  
"Don't - TALK TO ME!" the man screamed, eyes glowing with fury. Drakja tried to make himself as small as possible, tail hovering between his feet. Standing in the doorway, Lulian watched with an unnaturally sympathetic look on her face.  
  
"This is UNBELIEVABLE!" Garland raged, shaking with perpetual wrath. "I can't believe this! That - that WITCH! Where is Ummei?! Bring him here! He is in BIG trouble!"  
  
"I'll get him," Lulian said quickly, turning to leave. Drakja glared at her, his opportunity to get away from Garland stolen.  
  
"Sir," Drakja began slowly, turning back to his master. "This is not the end of the world. Surely . . . if we just stick to the plan . . .?"  
  
"I am AWARE of that, Drakja," Garland snapped, glaring through the window of the Indomitable. "But things could have gone so much smoother if she hadn't - "  
  
"Ummei's here," Lulian's voice floated from behind. Drakja and Garland turned to meet the quaking young geonome.  
  
Ummei looked like he was about to have a heart-attack on the spot. He was shaking so bad he could barely stand and his green eyes were flat with fright. As Garland stepped towards him, Ummei cried out in pain and dropped to his knees, Garland's angry presence taking its toll on his mind.  
  
"SO!" Garland began, boring down upon the serf. "SO!"  
  
"Master . . ." Ummei pleaded, leaning forward. "Master . . . please . . ."  
  
"SILENCE!!!" Ummei's body slammed into the floor. He clutched his head in agony, writhing before the Terran leader's presence. Lulian bit her lip, watching.  
  
"Master Garland . . . perhaps you shouldn't be so hard on the kid . . . This isn't really his fault . . ." she pleaded, clutching a fist near her chest. Garland's sightless eyes whipped onto her and she too, clutched her head and dropped to her knees, eyes rolling up into the back of their sockets. Drakja said nothing.  
  
"Master . . ." Ummei begged, struggling to raise his head. "Have mercy . . ."  
  
Garland growled for a moment before turning away, black cape swishing behind him. "Why should I show you mercy, Ummei? Why? How many more times must you slip up before you will learn?"  
  
Garland's wrath muffled slightly, Ummei's body was finally able to go lax. Likewise, Lulian stopped clutching her head and stood up shakily. Relieved, Ummei climbed onto his knees and bowed his head.  
  
"Sir, there was nothing I could have done," he explained, cringing nervously. "She told me you were planning on extracting information from her and then . . . and then she cast some sort of spell on herself and fainted dead on the spot,"  
  
Garland kept his back to the servant, hands gripping the edge of the consol tensely. He didn't speak for several seconds.  
  
"She is avoiding the inevitable . . ." he whispered finally, eyes narrowed. "She doesn't realize that Garland - Master of Terra - ALWAYS gets what he wants . . ."  
  
"Will you merely continue as before?" Drakja queried, folding his arms over his chest. Garland smirked slightly.  
  
"You know the drill," he said, glancing at the tall geonome. "I've picked the first target. We're going to commence with our attack formation. Do you know the positions?"  
  
Drakja rolled his leopard-like eyes in annoyance. "Like I'd FORGET!"  
  
"Are you ready now?" Garland queried, tilting his head inquiringly.  
  
Drakja nodded confidently, brushing a strand of hair over his shoulder. "I'm already there . . ."  
  
"Good, you're dismissed," his master stated, waving the geonome away. "Get into position. All of you,"  
  
Drakja grabbed Ummei by his collar and dragged the frightened servant out of the room. Lulian followed, still shaken by the previous events. Garland watched them out of the corner of his eye before turning back to the window. A low growl escaped his throat.  
  
"I WILL find the summoner family . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Mikoto tossed fitfully in her sleep, horrible images haunting her dreams. She was relieved of them, however, when a cry rang out and something heavy fell on top of her. Eyes snapping open, Mikoto awoke to find Ummei lying thrown over her body.  
  
". . .Ummei . . .?"  
  
The young geonome blinked, then realized he was on top of the prisoner. "Eep! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!" Ummei rolled off of her apologetically. "They just sorta threw me in here,"  
  
Mikoto pulled herself into a sitting position, forehead crinkled curiously. "So they didn't kill you?"  
  
"They didn't kill me!" Ummei exclaimed happily, sitting Indian-style and grinning.  
  
"Did they whip you?"  
  
"Nope,"  
  
"I . . . don't understand . . ."  
  
Ummei just shrugged, happy simply to be alive. "I guess they didn't need her that much after all," he pointed at the body of the purple-eyed woman, who was lying sprawled against the wall nearby. She looked the epitome of dead, however her chest rose and fell slowly; the only sign that she was actually alive.  
  
"I'm so confused," Mikoto grumbled, rubbing her eyes. "First they need her for her information, then she puts herself into some sort of coma so they can't get it, and now they act like nothing's happened! No offense, Ummei, but you're people are REALLY weird,"  
  
"Yah, no shit," Ummei mumbled, lying down on his back and gazing up at the pipe-clouded ceiling. "I really hate them sometimes . . ."  
  
"They're your people!" Mikoto snapped, disapproving. "You shouldn't speak about them in such a way,"  
  
"Psh," Ummei rolled his eyes. "We're just Drakja's little pets. Tha's all . . ."  
  
"That doesn't make it right,"  
  
"You sure seemed offended when Drakja compared you to YOUR people . . ."  
  
That shut Mikoto up immediately. She turned beet-red with embarrassment, then with fury.  
  
"But I'm not like them!" she defended, fingers balling into fists. "I have a soul! I would NEVER speak in such a way about Zidane or Kuja,"  
  
Ummei snorted. "I'm not like my people either! I've got intelligence swings like a freakin' pendulum. Garland called me a defect in the cycle but . . ."  
  
"He needs you," Mikoto finished the sentence.  
  
"Something like that . . ."  
  
". . . Ugh . . ."  
  
"Eh?" Mikoto and Ummei both turned towards the sound of the voice. They were surprised to see the other prisoner's violet eyes on them, completely out of focus and glassy. Mikoto let out a small gasp and crawled towards the woman, cursing the shackles as they started to pull her back.  
  
"Hey, are you alright?!" the blonde genome called to her fellow prisoner. The violet-eyed woman blinked slowly, then groaned.  
  
"I feel like shit . . . Ugh . . ."  
  
"Well that was pretty crazy of you . . ." Ummei said matter-of-factly. "I mean, attacking YOURSELF?! What were you thinking?"  
  
"I . . . gotta keep my information . . . out of evil hands . . ."  
  
Ummei shook his head irritably. "Gotta play the hero . . . Whatever . . . do what you want," he blinked. "You're exploits are most insufferable . . ."  
  
Mikoto stared at him. "Those were big words . . ." she commented, impressed. "You cease to perplex me," Ummei blinked again.  
  
"Per . . . what" he hit himself on the head furiously. "God damn brain! Why won't it stay smart?!"  
  
Mikoto sighed. It was going to be a LONG imprisonment . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"'scuse me, but have you seen a guy with silver hair around here?"  
  
"Silver hair?"  
  
"Yeah,"  
  
"You kiddin?'"  
  
Zidane watched the man walk away and sighed, kicking at a pebble. Where the hell was that damn brother of his?! This was an emergency! He stared through the crowds of people in the street.  
  
/Ooh, she looks nice! I'll ask her!/  
  
"Hey, miss!" Zidane shouted, waving his hand at a young teenage girl walking by. She stopped and stared at him, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Er . . . Just wonderin' if you've seen a guy with silver hair around here,"  
  
"Is this a joke?"  
  
"Um . . . no,"  
  
The girl blew a bubble in his face. "I ain't seen no one . . ."  
  
Zidane stared at her. "You have very pretty green eyes, miss,"  
  
"Mmm . . . thanks, yo,"  
  
/Stop flirting with her!/ Zidane snapped to himself. /You're engaged, idiot!/  
  
"Can I go?"  
  
"Er . . . yeah,"  
  
The girl flipped her hair and walked away, blowing another fluffy pink bubble as she passed. Zidane watched her go, then turned to continue his quest.  
  
Unfortunately, if he had watched her for two more seconds, he would have seen the smirk pass over her face before she blew another bubble and vanished with a pop . . .  
  
"Have you seen a guy with silver hair?"  
  
"No,"  
  
"Have you seen a guy with silver hair?"  
  
"No,"  
  
Zidane watched the last person go, frowning. /Where the hell could Kuja be?!/  
  
Zidane stopped, thinking, and suddenly smacked himself in the face. "Idiot!" he cried aloud. "He wouldn't go outside without wearing a cloak over his hair! Stupid, stupid, stupid!"  
  
Zidane turned and ran down the road, searching frantically for another halfway-decent looking person.  
  
"Hey, lady!" he called to a nearby person, all tact lost. "Have you seen a guy in a white cloak pass by here?! Might have looked a little depressed . . ."  
  
The middle-aged woman standing near the clothing store looked thoughtful for a moment. "Actually . . ." she began. "I could've sworn I saw a guy in a white cloak go into that bar over there," she pointed at a tavern a few buildings down. "I remember thinking he had a sort of slump to his appearance. Could've sworn he had a tail, too . . ." the woman remarked, scratching her head. Zidane laughed.  
  
"That's the one! Thanks!"  
  
The blonde genome scurried over to the bar, vaguely noting that he didn't think Kuja drank, and burst inside. Kuja looked up gloomily from a table at the back of the room, resting his chin in his hands.  
  
"Kuja! Megan's a SUMMONER!!!" Zidane cried, running up to his brother and shaking him furiously by the shoulders. Kuja's eyes widened in horror.  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
"MEGAN - IS - A - SUMMONER!!!"  
  
"But how do you know?!"  
  
"She told me!"  
  
"But - "  
  
"Kuja, since when have you drunk?"  
  
Kuja blinked at the random question. "I don't. I just felt like watching other people more miserable than me,"  
  
"Oh. Makes sense . . ."  
  
Kuja grabbed Zidane's arm and dragged him down into the seat next to him. "Now slow down," the silver-haired man instructed, frowning. "What do you mean, she told you,"  
  
Zidane sighed and took a deep breath before explaining. "Megan started talking about her childhood. She lived in Madain Sari and everything,"  
  
"But . . . but . . ." too stunned to think of the right word, Kuja simply pressed a fist against his forehead.  
  
"The Yorokobi's CUT OFF their horns!" Zidane explained, also making a fist near his forehead. Kuja stared at his little brother for several seconds.  
  
"Y-you know what this means . . . don't you . . .?" he whispered hoarsely.  
  
Zidane looked sadly into Kuja's eyes, where the silent tears were already forming.  
  
"You killed Megan's father . . ."  
  
There followed a silence so heavy it was nauseating. The only sound that could be heard was the uncomfortable shuffling of the man at the next table. The two genomes couldn't see his face through the cloak, but he seemed to be writhing in his seat occasionally. Zidane silently noted that taverns could bring in some serious weirdos.  
  
"Would you like anything?" a waitress queried, coming up behind the second angel of death. Her voice didn't register for several seconds. Finally, Zidane snapped out of it an nodded.  
  
"Oh, um, sure . . . You got any Maudite?" The young (and underage) boy thought it appropriate since the name translated to mean "The curse."  
  
The waitress chuckled. "That's gonna cost ya . . ."  
  
"I can afford it," Zidane pulled out a pouch busting with gil. The waitress's eyes widened but she didn't say anything as Zidane handed her the money.  
  
"And you?" she politely asked Kuja. Kuja was so deep in thought he didn't even hear her. He was so spaced it was gut-wrenching.  
  
"He doesn't drink," Zidane explained. The waitress simply shrugged and walked away. The man at the next table crossed and re-crossed his legs.  
  
"So what are you going to do?" Zidane whispered, poking Kuja in the arm. Kuja blinked, then miserably buried his face in his hands.  
  
"Someone must really hate me up there . . ." he grumbled. Zidane leaned back thoughtfully.  
  
"Well . . . you did kill thousands and toy with people's lives and - "  
  
"Just shut up! You're not helping! What am I going to do?!"  
  
"Tell her who you are?" Zidane offered.  
  
Kuja laughed, but it held no mirth. "That'd be wonderful! Hey Megan! I'm the guy that killed your father! Wanna go out for a bite?"  
  
"Here's your Maudite, sir," Zidane nodded and took the drink from the waitress. He smirked and made a small toast with the glass.  
  
"Here's to the wonderful world of decisions!"  
  
Kuja made a swift motion to knock the glass out of Zidane's hand but the blonde managed to get it out of the way just in time.  
  
"I can't tell Megan . . ." Kuja whispered, whimpering slightly. "I mean, our whole bond of trust could break!"  
  
"That's not the only thing that's gonna break when she finds out," Zidane commented, sipping on the Maudite. Kuja looked ready to smack at the glass again but restrained himself.  
  
"How could she be a summoner?" the warlock moaned, running his fingers through his hair in frustration. "Of all the things - "  
  
A low chuckle arose from the table next to them. Zidane glanced suspiciously at the cloaked man, frowning. There was something creepy about that laugh. It sounded vaguely familiar . . . And something was curled around the table-leg. Zidane's eyes narrowed and he gasped.  
  
/A tail! A brown one!/  
  
The genome stood up so suddenly his chair clattered to the floor with a thud. "GEONOME!" he cried, pointing an accusing finger at the man. Kuja blinked and looked up in surprise. But before either of them could act, the door at the front of the bar flew open. A Pluto Knight stood there, looking slightly shaken.  
  
"This - this is a lockdown!" he shouted, puffing out his chest in a feeble attempt to look commanding. "All residents of Alexandria are ordered by the queen to go home and lock their doors immediately until further notice!"  
  
Protests rang out immediately.  
  
"What?!"  
  
"What kinda crap is this?!"  
  
"I got a life, here!"  
  
The Pluto Knight straightened his helmet nervously, wincing at the barrage of verbal attacks coming his way.  
  
"Please!" he shouted desperately. "Half the Mist Continent is in a state of emergency right now! Dali's just been attacked!"  
  
Zidane gasped. His eyes caught a swift movement at his side. The cloaked man was on his feet now, laughing hysterically. Zidane growled and lunged at him. The figure dodged the attack and whipped off his cloak. Kuja sprang over the table immediately.  
  
"Drakja!"  
  
Drakja's green eyes glittered as he stood there. Zidane saw the geonome leader's hand reaching towards his belt.  
  
"Everyone! Get out of here! NOW!" he cried, taking a step back. Kuja was growling lightly, eyes boring into Drakja menacingly.  
  
No one moved. They all seemed too confused. Zidane looked around at them furiously. "As the man engaged to the throne of Alexandria, I am ordering you all to get out of here NOW! AAAAAH!" Zidane cried out in agony, enveloped in crackling electricity. Kuja threw himself at Drakja, throwing the green-eyed man to the floor.  
  
Everyone in the bar ran out screaming. Including the Pluto Knight . . . (he screamed the loudest).  
  
Amidst the chaos, Zidane stood up shakily, small bursts of lightning still floating around him. Kuja and Drakja were in the middle of a wrestling match on the floor. Drakja grabbed Kuja's hair and gave it a sharp tug. Kuja cried out and punched Drakja in the face. Zidane just stood there, unsure of WHAT to do.  
  
Finally, Drakja gained the upper hand and kicked Kuja with such force that he flew into a bar table, sending it crashing and splintering to the floor. Drakja smirked and rose, brushing off his pants.  
  
"Well, now . . . that was fun," he said happily, glancing at Zidane out of the corner of his eye. "Let's do that again sometime, ne?"  
  
"What are you doing here?!" Zidane snapped, squaring himself in case of retaliation. Drakja laughed.  
  
"Just waiting for the attack on Dali to end,"  
  
"Wh-what do you want with that pathetic little town?!" Kuja choked from the corner, pulling himself out of the mess of wood and dragging himself to his feet.  
  
Drakja folded his arms over his chest casually. "None of your beeswax,"  
  
"It is so!" Zidane shouted, tail puffing out angrily. "Dali's part of Alexandrian territory! And I'm about to become its king! So if you don't mind - " he was suddenly interrupted by a very frightened shout from his brother.  
  
"ZIDANE, RUN!"  
  
"Wha - ?"  
  
Drakja leapt into the air, throwing something down upon the blonde. Time seemed to slow to a crawl. A black orb was hurtling towards the thief. He blinked slowly. Nothing seemed to move.  
  
/A shadow ball . . ./ Zidane realized.  
  
/Flash/  
  
Well, let me put it to you this way. Avoid those at all costs. It's a sort of death-ball. Drakja summons the power of shadows with that attack and if you're hit, it acts like one. You're blinded; can't see a thing. And sometimes, the haze leads to unconsciousness or death. It shuts down your organs. On top of that, it uses magical attacks on you from the inside. No one can tell what's hitting you, thus, no one can help you. Until you die. So if you see a black mist in any of the geonome's hands, get the hell out of there 'cause it's big trouble.  
  
/Flash/  
  
Zidane was rooted to the spot. The shadow-ball was coming ever closer. Drakja's eyes were glowing with anticipation as he floated above them. Kuja let out a gasp and threw himself forward.  
  
"Noooo!" he shrieked. There was a whoosh and he fell into Zidane. In that instant, time returned to normal with shocking speed.  
  
"Aaaaaagh!" the orb plummeted into Kuja's back. Immediately a black smoke covered his body. He screamed, whatever attack the shadow-ball was producing destroying the sorcerer from the inside. He rolled off of Zidane, writhing upon the floor. Drakja lowered slowly to the ground, chuckling.  
  
"Well, my target missed, but it seems I've claimed a better prize . . ."  
  
"Kuja!" Zidane pleaded, reaching out towards his screaming brother.  
  
"No!" Kuja gasped, fingers clenching into fists. "Zidane, stay back!"  
  
Zidane hesitated. Then he saw the flash of red. "SHIT!" he stumbled backwards, hand over his mouth. Kuja's eye flashed crimson and the black mist evaporated off of him. The warlock screeched, clutching his head.  
  
"No! I won't let them!" he crawled backwards until he hit the wall. The silver-haired man pressed himself up against it, face twisted painfully in the silent struggle. Drakja remained silent, arms folded over his chest. A thoughtful look passed over his face.  
  
"No!" Kuja cried as several strands of hair began to turn a deep blood-red. "I won't let them hurt anybody!"  
  
Light burst forth from his body, twisting strands of energy shooting out into the room. A wind-like shield covered Zidane's body. He stared at it in wonderment, reaching towards it. But before he could touch the barrier, Kuja let out a gasp and his eyes spurted back to blue. The light vanished. The shield dissipated.  
  
Every table and chair in the bar was overturned. Drakja had a magic shield up in front of him but his leopard-like eyes were wide. Kuja looked equally shocked.  
  
"I-I did it . . ." he whispered, breathing heavily. "I held them back . . ." his eyes locked onto Drakja. Zidane realized what was about to happen two seconds before it did.  
  
"No! Don't let him get away!"  
  
POP!  
  
The two brother landed in a heap upon the floor . . . right where Drakja should have been.  
  
"Damn it!" Zidane cursed bitterly, pulling himself onto his elbows. "He teleported, the rat bastard!"  
  
Kuja stood, growling. "Damn him . . . What the hell was he doing here anyways?! He should be with his other nasty little friends blowing up innocent towns!"  
  
Zidane looked thoughtful. "Do you think he heard what I said?" he queried, glancing at his brother.  
  
"What?"  
  
"About Megan! Do you think he heard?"  
  
Kuja shrugged. "Who cares . . . Drakja probably doesn't even know what a Summoner is . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Drakja cackled gleefully, running down the hallway of the Indomitable. Hoo boy, was Garland going to be pleased! Here Garland had been chasing down a pair of Summoners when Drakja could just hand one to him on a platter! Excitedly, Drakja threw open the door of the control room.  
  
"Master, I - "  
  
With a growl, Garland turned and glared fiercely. Drakja felt the strangle- hold immediately over his body but resisted wincing.  
  
"I didn't find them, boy," Garland snarled, baring his teeth. "They weren't in Dali! Not only that, but I barely got any power from the attack. It was worthless!" he pointed an accusing finger at the geonome. "Why were you there?!"  
  
Drakja mouth fell open in surprise. "Master, you told me to go on scouting duty in Alexandria! I - "  
  
"SILENCE!" Garland shrieked, eyes maddening. Drakja shut up immediately, feeling the pressure in his brain increasing painfully. How could Garland be treating him this way?! After everything he'd done! He was the Demon of the Death, damn it!  
  
"Now you listen to me," Garland snapped, stepping towards his minion. "From now on, you're going to command every attack. If we don't find those Summoners by the time I've taken down THREE cities . . ." Garland drew a finger menacingly across his neck. Drakja gulped. Suddenly, a thought passed through his mind that made the geonome stop and wonder.  
  
/Flash/  
  
No! I won't let them hurt anybody!  
  
/Flash/  
  
Garland felt the uneasiness in Drakja's brain and tilted his head inquiringly. "What are you thinking about . . .?" he queried, eyes narrowed suspiciously.  
  
Drakja snapped out of his reverie and looked up. He wasn't exactly sure what to say. Garland was certainly not the understanding type, nor the friendly type. Drakja highly doubted that Garland had ever had a true feeling in all his life!  
  
"Um . . . Well . . ." the green-eyed man scratched his head curiously, searching for the correct word choice. "It's about the first angel of death . . ."  
  
Garland's eyes flashed with interest, though he quickly tried to stifle it. "Yes, go on . . ."  
  
Drakja shifted uneasily, frowning. "Um . . . Well . . . When I was in Alexandria today, I saw him in a bar. He seemed perfectly normal, to be honest. I would never have suspected him of being anything strange. But when he started fighting . . ." Drakja faded out, shrugging. "I don't know. It's not important,"  
  
"No . . . it might be . . ." Garland whispered, taking a few steps towards his minion. "What did you notice about his fighting?"  
  
Drakja chewed his lip. "It wasn't just the fighting in general . . ." said the geonome, curling his tail around his ankle. "It's just . . . the whole darn thing . . . seemed so . . ." Drakja's eyes widened as he managed to grasp the right word. "Familiar . . ."  
  
Garland tried to contain and mask his surprise. /It can't be . . ./ "Familiar? How so?"  
  
Drakja shrugged. "I dunno . . . I tried to use a shadow-ball on the second angel of death but Kuja jumped in the way. The shadow-ball hit him kinda funny. In the back, actually. And he was in a lot of pain. And I . . . I . . ." Drakja's face turned immediately cold. He straightened himself and squared his shoulders. "It was nothing. I'm going to leave,"  
  
Garland remained silent, piercing eyes going dull. After a moment, he turned away from the geonome, acting as if he didn't know the man was there. "By the way . . ." he said softly, glancing over his shoulder. "Was there something you wished to tell me?"  
  
Drakja hesitated, frowning. A small smile crept across his pale lips as he grinned devilishly. /Yell at me, why don't ya? Treat me like dirt, huh?/  
  
"Funny . . ." the geonome muttered curtly. "I seem to have forgotten . . ."  
  
And with that, the Demon of Death turned and fled the room.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: Ooh. Drakja has feelings! Cool. But don't think he's turning traitor or nothin' . . . He's not THAT upset! But things are gonna start to get weird with him from now on. That's why I had to know your opinion on his origins. And thanks! I didn't receive a single review that didn't answer my question ^_^ Thank you everyone! And luckily, basically everybody said he wasn't the original. And that's good, 'cause otherwise I'd have to rewrite the plot *sweatdrop* Read and review, y'all!  
  
P.S. IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!  
  
This is not definite, but I've started work on character designs etc. for this fic. In other words, I'm thinking about turning Return of the Destroyed into an online manga series of sorts. I would post parts of the story in comic format slowly like I did with the book version ^_^ But things are moving slow, right now. So far, the only designs I'm satisfied with are Lulian, Megan, and Kuja. I'm desperately trying to get Drakja right and I'm pretty happy with the way Zidane is coming along. I worked on Megan's family a little and I'm almost positive I've got Mrs. Yorokobi down. As for her grandmother . . . *sigh* That's another story . . . I'll keep y'all posted on the progress of the manga later. But before I can do anything, I would need a website to put it on (which I don't have . . .) and some new nib-pens (which I'm getting in a few days). So stay tuned!  
  
REEEEEEEEEEAD AND REEEEEEVIEW! 


	21. Pondering

A/N: Yo! I'm back after my first taste of high school! And I've made my prognosis . . . It's gonna be a looooooooooooooong year. . . *sigh* Ah, well! What's life without a little misery, eh? Anyways . . . Low review count for the last chapter! Meep! Triple meep! I hope I didn't do something that killed the story . . . *Flips through last chapter* Looks clean . . . *sigh* Oh well . . . I'm all excited because I finally got to see the Inu-Yasha series in English! I've only read mangas 1-7 and seen a handful of the Japanese sub-titled episodes. And now I've seen them on Cartoon Network in English! The voices are soooooooooooo different! I HATE Kagome's voice. It's so high! Anyways . . . This chapter begins to ponder over Garland's motives. It might make you start to formulate your own ideas. Dunno . . . We shall see . . . *Tents fingers* Cough . . .  
  
Disclaimer: How come I can't own Final Fantasy?! This sucks!  
  
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"Life . . . Dreams . . . Hope . . . Where'd they come from? And where are they headed . . .?"  
  
- Kefka, Final Fantasy VI  
  
Garland sat upon the Indomitable's throne, drenched in deepening shadows. Thoughts raced through his ever contemplating mind. The events of the previous day continued to haunt him. Everything Drakja had said . . . it made sense when it shouldn't have . . .  
  
/Flash/  
  
The whole darn thing . . . just seemed so . . . familiar . . .  
  
/Flash/  
  
"Of course it did," Garland whispered, the lines of his face creasing thoughtfully. "I just don't understand . . ."  
  
The overlord reached over and lifted a thick manila folder from the side of the throne. It was crammed to the point of bursting with papers. Some even toppled out as Garland moved them, however he refrained from picking them up. Swiftly, he turned towards the back and picked his way through the numerous faded leafs. When he had found what he was looking for, Garland set the folder down and leaned back, eyes scanning the page contemplatively.  
  
"The Great Spark of the Devil War . . ." the aged man whispered, frowning. "The beginning of the end . . ."  
  
Garland closed his eyes wearily and allowed his wizened mind to recall the events of that fateful day.  
  
/Flash/  
  
"Sir, I come with urgent news,"  
  
"Tell him to go away,"  
  
"But sir - "  
  
"TELL HIM TO LEAVE - ME - ALONE!!!" the young man shrieked, grabbing a canteen and hurling it furiously at the frightened cadet. The bushes rustled nearby, but the man did not seem to notice or care.  
  
"This could be the end of the war . . ." Garland noted from his hiding place in the forest, peering around a tree at the army's stand-in general. "Send him away or not, my dear Saishoja, he will still find a way . . ."  
  
And sure enough, a small pop alerted the general and his unnoticed specter to a visitor entering the camp-site by teleportation.  
  
He was tall and strapping, with beautiful brown hair, a muscular, battle- hardened form, and the most electrifying green eyes Garland had ever seen. Brushing the ground behind him was a mahogany-brown tail, a common trait among Terrans of his city: Tanjo.  
  
"Saishoja . . ." the newcomer whispered, eyes flashing vehemently. The other turned slowly, frowning.  
  
"Drakja . . ."  
  
There was a moment of silence. Saishoja swept his luxurious silver hair over his shoulder and folded his arms over his chest, waiting.  
  
"I thought I told my soldiers not to let you in . . ." Saishoja said plainly, though a small snarl could be detected in his tone. Drakja smirked.  
  
"As if . . ."  
  
Saishoja sniffed. "You're teleportation would be useless . . ." he commented, piercing blue-eyes grazing the orange-tinged sky above in boredom. ". . . if I were to kill you now . . ."  
  
"Would you?" Drakja queried, taking a step towards his rival. Saishoja glanced at the green-eyed man in a calculated manner.  
  
"If it would mean victory for my people,"  
  
Drakja laughed, shaking his head. "The people of Shi, you mean?" he snorted. "You use the word 'my' when referring to them?"  
  
"Don't start with me," Saishoja warned, his eyes flashing dangerously. Drakja shrugged, leaning back against a tree.  
  
"Wasn't gonna . . ."  
  
"You were so!" Saishoja trembled with rage. His fingers groped near the sword on his belt. "Get out of here! I don't want to talk to you! We will end this on the battle-field! AS IT WAS MEANT TO BE!!!"  
  
Drakja straightened himself fiercely, fury now dancing in his eyes as well. "Don't you DARE imply such a thing!" he fumed, pointing a finger at the silver-haired general. "We are going to settle this NOW!"  
  
Hidden unnoticed in the bushes, Garland's eyes widened. "This is unbelievable," he whispered, writing frantically on a pad of paper. "I'm baring witness to this . . .!"  
  
Saishoja laughed coldly as his tail thrashed wildly behind him. "You want to settle this now? There is nothing to settle! We fight to the death!"  
  
Then it happened: The Spark . . . Garland watched the second unfold, barely able to comprehend what he saw.  
  
Saishoja turned away.  
  
It was the coldest snub in history. Never before had such an icy wrath been projected by someone turning their back on another being. Drakja's eyes widened. But the spark soon turned to boiling rage, to burning, blistering hate.  
  
"TO THE DEATH!"  
  
Garland inhaled sharply. He saw the flash. The splatter. The cry.  
  
It echoed to every cavern of the planet. Hearts ran cold at that moment. It reverberated for miles. Cities cried for reasons unknown to them. And then it was over.  
  
Garland released a breath he had not realized he was holding. His body shuddered from the initial shock. He felt someone brush past him. A girl . . .  
  
"Oh my god!" she screamed, crashing through the bushes. That was when the truth hit him . . .  
  
This wasn't the end of the war . . .  
  
It was the end of everything . . .  
  
/Flash/  
  
Garland clenched the aged paper in his hands tighter. He had scribbled those notes down so long ago . . . over six-hundred years ago, to be precise. Yet he did not need silly little writings to remind him of that event. The disaster . . . Could it be true, what Drakja had said? It was true - the fool hadn't noticed anything yet. But still . . .  
  
Garland stuffed the paper back into the folder, growling. "Drakja is simply suffering from a previous dejá vu . . ." he told himself sternly, willing himself to believe it true. "He did not see anything suspicious in that bar. Nothing happened . . ."  
  
But even as Garland spoke, he felt his usual underlying confidence fade away to nothing . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"This is why you all have to listen to me!" Mr. 41 cried, throwing up his arms. "I TOLD you Dali wasn't safe! Look at it! It's in shambles!"  
  
Vivi's children sniffled as they sat in front of the gates of Dali. They had so hoped to see the fabled windmills . . . But now they were gone . . .  
  
Mr. 41 sighed and stared at the rubble of the once prosperous village. Something strange was DEFINITELY going on. First Mikoto vanished, then a strange black shape had appeared in the sky, now Dali was destroyed! And by people with tails! That was what spooked the black mage the most. The attackers had almost looked like super genomes . . .  
  
"Well, look at it this way," said Mr. 41, turning back to the gloomy children. "At least we weren't hurt. The attack started seconds before we reached the gate,"  
  
"I-I wanted to see the w-windmills . . .!" Nichio-Bi sobbed, his hat drooping down over his face. Mr. 41 sighed again.  
  
"There's just no getting through to you kids, is there?"  
  
Vivi's offspring just continued to sulk. Out of the blue, Mr. 41 felt a small tug on his sleeve. Glancing down, he saw Getsuyo-Bi's lamp-like eyes focused questioningly on the elder mage.  
  
"What's wrong?" Mr. 41 queried nervously, not liking the expression on the young boy's shrouded face. Getsuyo-Bi cocked his head curiously. Mr. 41 took a step back. "What?!"  
  
Now the other children were rising, their eyes curious as well. Mr. 41 fingered his staff anxiously. "What are you all staring at?!" he snapped. Suiyo-Bi pointed at something over Mr. 41's shoulder. The black mage whipped around, but when his eyes caught nothing, he threw down his staff in frustration.  
  
"I don't understand!" he shouted exasperatedly. "What do you all see?!" But then he stopped. Now he saw it too. The air . . . it was . . .  
  
Foggy . . .  
  
"What is this . . .?" Mr. 41 whispered, stepping forward slightly. "It's not going to rain or anything . . ." his eyes widened to saucer-like proportions. "This is . . . this is Mist!"  
  
"M-Mist . . .?" the children mumbled, glancing uneasily at each other. "There hasn't been Mist in over three years!"  
  
"I know!" Mr. 41 gasped, staring at the thickening fog. "But . . . but this is undeniably Mist! How?!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Madeline Hebi," Drakja read off the sheet of paper. "I've heard that name before. Used to be one of the Four Terran Magicians," he glanced at Lulian over his shoulder. "What am I supposed to do with all these files?"  
  
Lulian shrugged as they stood within Drakja's slightly cramped quarters upon the Indomitable. She was a bit disheartened by the failed attempt to capture the Summoners at Dali. After she'd gotten back from Alexandria, she hid in her quarters, afraid of getting the same treatment as her leader. The geonome was almost to sulking point, and had even forgotten to load on her mascara.  
  
Drakja sighed. "Would you just leave if you're going to be like this?"  
  
"YOU leave!" Lulian snapped, baring her teeth. Before she knew it, the woman had the deep red nozzle of Drakja's gun at her throat. Lulian glared at him.  
  
"Don't you dare!" she shrieked, green eyes flaring. "If you even think about using that thing, I'll corrupt you till you kill yourself!"  
  
Drakja blinked and slowly lowered his weapon. "You . . . know about that . . .?" he queried in confusion.  
  
"The gun? Um, duh?"  
  
Drakja stared at the weapon in his hands. "You could corrupt me . . .?" he whispered as if contemplating something. Lulian stuck her hands on her hip, eyebrow raised.  
  
"What's the big deal?" she snapped. When Drakja didn't acknowledge her she smacked him across the arm. "Hello?!" Lulian waved a hand in front of his face. "It's just a stupid weapon! What are you doing?!"  
  
Drakja brushed her away with a faraway look on his face. "Lulian . . ." he whispered. "I think . . . I think I'm starting to see Garland's motives . . ."  
  
The female geonome snapped to immediate attention. "You have?! What is it?! What did you figure out?!" Drakja closed his eyes, sorting through the information in his head.  
  
"That light in Garland's armor . . . It glows fiercely when Kuja transforms," he explained, recalling the situation in Gulug the first time Kuja lost control of himself. "The light is connected to the Invincible . . . And the Indomitable . . ." Drakja's brow creased thoughtfully as Lulian stared at her boss's altering expressions. "Garland told me that when Kuja's eyes turned red . . . it wasn't his ultimate power . . . his ultimate power is Trance: the second most powerful transformation any mortal can have besides Shock. But . . . Kuja can't Trance . . . At least . . . Not before . . ."  
  
Lulian's eyes narrowed. ". . . What are you saying . . .?" she asked suspiciously. "That Garland is trying to kill Kuja for suddenly being able to Trance?"  
  
"No!" Drakja shouted, exasperated. "Kuja didn't Trance then! And besides, he's Tranced before and Garland knows it,"  
  
" . . . And . . . So what? The first angel of death transformed. That's a good enough motive to me,"  
  
Drakja shook his head furiously. "No . . . Kuja DIDN'T transform . . . At least . . . not himself . . ."  
  
Lulian leaned back against the door. " . . . That made no sense whatsoever . . ."  
  
Drakja sighed rolling his eyes. "Don't you get it?! Garland's after something the first angel of death's got! And the Summoners, too! Remember that thing he talked about . . . the magnet thingy . . .?"  
  
"The Theory of Planetary Magnetism?"  
  
"Yeah . . .that. What did he say about the theory? It involved the genomes and Summoners somehow . . ."  
  
"Beats me . . . 's in the files," Lulian pointed at the stack of papers on the desk. Drakja frowned.  
  
"Think . . ." he whispered. "Garland hasn't been filling us in on the plan. Not even me. Yet he's equipped us with all sorts of new Terran technology," Drakja held up the red gun. "Or more specifically . . . he equipped me with THIS,"  
  
Lulian stared at the weapon. "It IS strange . . ." she commented, scratching her head. "Why would you need it?"  
  
Drakja hesitated. "Garland says Kuja is corrupted. Back during Terra's Second Destruction . . . and . . ." Drakja gasped so loud that Lulian jumped and clapped a hand over her heart. "That's what Garland wants from the first Angel of Death!"  
  
Lulian blinked, then looked up in surprise. "What?! Are you kidding me?!"  
  
"What other explanation could there be?!"  
  
"But . . . That's . . ." now it was Lulian's turn to gasp. "Completely possible!" she pointed at Drakja's weapon. "That weapon! It can do it! Oh my god!" she looked at the gun as if in a new light. "I . . . I can't believe you're going to have to use that on a living person . . . Are you seriously going to do it?!"  
  
Drakja frowned. "If Garland makes me . . ."  
  
"But . . . So many . . ." Lulian whispered, shaking her head. "Wait, I thought you were mad at Garland!"  
  
Drakja sheathed his gun and scratched his head. "Well . . . Yeah, but . . ."  
  
Lulian groaned, sighing. "You do this every time . . . wimp," she brushed past the taller geonome and flicked a strand of highlighted hair over her shoulder. Suddenly, she felt fingers wrapping around her arm and something yanking her back.  
  
"Drakja, what - ?"  
  
She was silenced by his lips pressing themselves fiercely upon hers. Lulian struggled for a moment before sinking like butter into his embrace. Dangling her arms over his broad shoulders, she sank passionately into the kiss, eyes closed, a soft moan escaping her lips.  
  
When they finally pulled apart, both of them wore equal looks of embarrassment.  
  
"That was stupid," Lulian whispered, glancing at the floor. Drakja stared deep into her eyes.  
  
"You're me," he mumbled, nodding. "It was stupid . . ."  
  
There was a soft knock on the door. Drakja immediately wiped his lips furiously upon his sleeve in case any of Lulian's blood-red lipstick had come off during the kiss.  
  
It was Dart at the door, and she was smirking. "Ooh . . ." she crooned, grinning. "Drakja and Lulian together . . . in one room . . ."  
  
"You're stepping out of line," Drakja warned, growling. Dart rolled her eyes.  
  
"Whatever . . . What the hell are you two doing in here?"  
  
Drakja held up the files. "Looking over the info on Madeline Hebi. What are YOU doing here?"  
  
Dart laughed. "Coming to tell you that Madeline Hebi left! Garland took her to the Iifa Tree about an hour ago!"  
  
"What?! Why?!" Lulian cried. Dart shrugged.  
  
"Guess he thought there was some sort of time press on the plan,"  
  
"Time press?!" Drakja spluttered. "He blocked Kuja's magic! What could possibly be messing up the plans now?!"  
  
Dart's lip twitched. "You wanna know?"  
  
"Yeah,"  
  
"You REALLY wanna know?"  
  
"Dart, I command you to tell me NOW!" Drakja roared, reaching towards his whip. Dart was not fazed in the least.  
  
"C'mere," she whispered secretively, signaling for him to draw closer. Drakja did so, and when they were nearly touching noses, she suddenly crammed a huge stack of files in his hands and leapt back, giggling.  
  
"You've got to study those now, too!" she laughed, turning and fleeing out the door. Drakja cursed furiously at her retreating form.  
  
"GOD DAMN IT!" he screamed, slamming the files down on a nearby table. "Curse that girl! Insubordination at its worst!"  
  
"You forgot Ummei," Lulian mumbled.  
  
"Oh yeah. Okay, second worst," he groaned. "I can't believe I have to study these now, too!"  
  
"Oh, it's not so bad," Lulian said softly, opening up to the first page. "You know most of this already. And now maybe we can figure out what's going on . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Garland's feet brushed the dust away from the decaying roots of Iifa. The sun shone brightly above, a faint smoke clouding the sky directly over the tree. The creature across from him was gazing at the Iifa Tree with curiosity, glowing yellow eyes wide with interest.  
  
"So this is Iifa . . ." she whispered, tongue flickering out and tasting the air around them. Garland nodded and folded his arms over his chest.  
  
"This is Iifa . . ." he affirmed. "Can you get inside?"  
  
"If I burn a path through it, yeah,"  
  
"Hmm . . ." The creature flashed Garland a toothy smile, exposing two inch- long fangs. "Do you understand your task?"  
  
The woman nodded, patting the side of the trunk. "Piece 'o' cake . . ."  
  
Garland's brow furrowed. "I expect Mist to be flowing from this thing within an hour. If not . . ."  
  
"Oh ye of little faith . . ." the creature mocked, grabbing hold of two roots that were twisted around the tree and hoisting herself up. "This sounds easy . . ."  
  
"I want that flow going to Terra. The planet is dead; can you still manage?"  
  
The woman let out an exasperated sigh that sounded more like a hiss. "What kind of novice do you take me for?!" she snapped, hurt. "This is EASY! I'm just going to reroute the flow with my magic and open up the roots,"  
  
Garland growled lightly. "Don't screw up . . ."  
  
He received no answer, as she was already scaling high up into the clouds.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kuja and Zidane watched the people in the streets closely. Panic was still written all over their faces after the rumored fight in the bar. As a matter of fact, the brothers were just heading back from that. Zidane kept cursing angrily and punching a fist into his palm.  
  
"What is your PROBLEM?!" Kuja snapped, glaring at the blonde. Zidane continued to pound his hand.  
  
"I just can't believe we let that bastard get away!" he cried furiously. "I mean, we had him right - there!"  
  
"No we didn't . . ." Kuja muttered. "You can never have a person that can teleport 'right there,'"  
  
"Oh, shut up . . ."  
  
"Zidane?!"  
  
The two genomes looked up in time to see Garnet, flanked on either side by Beatrix and Steiner, standing at the end of the road. She was - oddly enough - back in her yellow-orange jump-suit. She even had a Tiger Racket strapped to her back.  
  
"Dagger, what are you doing here?!" Zidane demanded angrily, running towards his fiancé. Kuja simply let out a groan and melted back into the shadows.  
  
Garnet looked around nervously as Zidane approached. "I heard there was a fight going on nearby. What's happening?"  
  
"It's nothing," Zidane assured the young queen, putting an arm around her shoulder. "But you shouldn't be out here with the geonomes loose. Who knows what the hell they're after,"  
  
"Is anyone hurt?" Beatrix queried, coming up next to Zidane. Zidane shook his head hurriedly.  
  
"No. Everyone got out of the building safe and Kuja and I managed to take care of the situation,"  
  
An audible grunt was heard from Steiner, but no one said anything. Garnet blinked.  
  
"Kuja? He's out here?"  
  
Zidane glanced over his shoulder but didn't see the silver-haired sorcerer anywhere nearby. "Yeah . . . he's over there somewhere . . . You guys must've scared him off. Why? What's the problem? Still convinced he's out to kill us all?"  
  
Garnet glanced at Beatrix. Beatrix glanced at Steiner. Steiner rolled his eyes and grunted once more. Zidane frowned.  
  
"Is . . . somethin' goin' on that I should know about?" he queried suspiciously.  
  
"Well, as a matter of fact . . ."  
  
Beatrix clapped a hand down on Zidane's shoulder and sighed. "Zidane, we feel that with Kuja's present . . . situation . . . maybe he shouldn't be allowed to . . . um . . . leave the castle . . . at all . . ."  
  
Zidane exploded immediately. "What?! Why the hell not?!"  
  
Hidden behind a nearby restaurant, Kuja stomped a foot upon the ground with fury. "Damn it! Damn it all!"  
  
"Now, now, Zidane," Beatrix tried to quiet the young boy down. "It's for his own good. Just listen to us . . . Are you listening?"  
  
Zidane's teeth were grinding to dust. "I'm listening . . ."  
  
Beatrix took a deep breath and tried to explain the situation slowly. "From what we can tell," she said. "Everything points to Kuja's isolation. He's a wanted criminal and could get hurt by people on the streets. Garland and the geonomes are obviously after him for one reason or another. And those things inside of him . . . they could hurt people. One's already dead. Let's not make it more,"  
  
Zidane stared deep into Beatrix's visible eye. "You can't do this . . ." he whispered. "You act like he's some sort of animal!" Steiner snorted for a third time. Zidane's gaze smashed onto him. "Don't you dare!" he shouted. "That's my brother you're snorting about!" Steiner snorted again.  
  
"Please Zidane," Garnet pleaded. "Please agree with us for once . . ."  
  
Zidane shook his head. "I can't do that . . . I mean, to lock a person up in a castle?! What kind of people are we?!"  
  
Beatrix bit her lip nervously. "Zidane. I really don't want to see him hurt. Kuja . . . Kuja doesn't deserve what's obviously coming . . ."  
  
Zidane hesitated. There was a look in Beatrix's eye that he had never seen before. It was desperate if not near tears. And there was something else there . . . A look he'd only seen the general get when she looked at Steiner . . . His eyes widened as realization sunk in.  
  
/So it's true then, what they say! She really did love Kuja before . . . God . . . If she still has feelings for him, then . . ./  
  
"What do you say, Zidane?" Beatrix queried, staring deep into his aqua-blue eyes.  
  
/But he held them back . . ./ Zidane thought desperately. /Kuja didn't let them come out in the bar . . ./ he opened his mouth to tell them that, when a hand clamped down on his shoulder and someone brushed past him into the group.  
  
"Kuja . . ." Steiner growled, eyes narrowing. Garnet moved instinctively closer to her knight. Beatrix simply frowned.  
  
"You all seem to think you know me pretty well . . ." Kuja articulated smoothly, eyes locking onto each of theirs in turn. "And you also seem to think it's okay to throw me around like a piece of garbage . . ."  
  
"Kuja, that's not - "  
  
The warlock raised a hand and silenced the young general. "I look at it this way," he uttered softly. "No matter what I do, I will somehow wind up confined one way or another," his eyes roved slowly onto Beatrix's. "But I want it known . . . That if I stay in the castle, I won't get persecuted like I was before,"  
  
Garnet's mouth opened to speak, but she was suddenly silenced by a piercing shriek towards the center of the square. Beatrix sighed.  
  
"Don't worry . . . It's just another Mist monster,"  
  
Zidane raised an eyebrow. "A Mist monster?"  
  
"Yeah," the general shrugged. "They've been poppin' up a lot lately. We have a team taking care of it. The monster should be dealt away with in a few minutes,"  
  
Kuja blinked slowly and reached out an arm as if feeling the air. Softly, he brought his hand back in. Swirls of white smoke were curling around his fingers like ghosts. Kuja's eyes widened.  
  
"M-Mist . . ." he mumbled, eyes glazing over with a faraway expression. Zidane had to catch his brother before he fell.  
  
"Whoa . . . You alright?" he peered into Kuja's face. The warlock collapsed to his knees. He looked like he was about to be sick.  
  
"What's wrong with him . . .?" Garnet queried, tilting her head. Kuja grabbed Zidane's sleeve and yanked on it hard. The blonde genome raised an eyebrow and started to pull back. Kuja quickly shook his head.  
  
"Don't . . ." he rasped. "Feels like I'm . . . falling . . . Don't let go . . ."  
  
Zidane glanced at Beatrix questioningly. She folded her arms over his chest.  
  
"It's settled . . ." she finalized. "He stays in the castle . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: Mwehehehe . . . Poor Kuja. I just slaughter him, ne? Hehe. But this is just the beginning! Wait till you see what I'm going to do to him later around chapter thirty-ish (or later, more likely). As if things couldn't get any worse . . . heehee. Also . . . MEGAN STILL DOESN'T KNOW!!!!! I'm procrastinating, I know . . . I already pushed back the time when she finds out later then I had originally written it (there's a copy of this entire story written with about a three sentence summary of each scene on my computer. I keep having to mark off changes *sigh*). See . . . Things are gonna get really messy after she finds out. So I keep holding off on Kuja telling her. Also, the crew's going to be leaving Alexandria soon, so I have to hurry up. Things are going to start to get bad for the characters. Garland's actually going to start WINNING! I know, kill the author, kill the author . . .  
  
About the manga:  
  
Drakja's design es muy completa y bonita. Not only that, but I've finally drawn out Saishoja and the original Drakja (yes, the ORIGINAL). I basically just took Drakja and Kuja and put them in more army-like clothes. Garnet's new design is done (outfit changes and stuff). Eiko's done. Erm . . . what else? Oh! Freya's done. I'm starting work on Fratley soon. Steiner's ALMOST finished. I'm dying to get to Beatrix. After I've designed out the basics, I'm going to start sketching out small scenes for practice. I've based my style for this series on a sort of Ceres: A Celestial Legend and Inu-Yasha hybrid. Those of you who have read both are probably thinking "Impossible! They look NOTHING alike!" Well . . . I've done it ^_^ I've made both Kuja and Drakja look kind of like a cross between Tooya and Sesshoumaru. Megan comes more from Aya and Kagome. I got Eiko's proportions from Shippou (don't kill me!). So . . . that's all for now . . . R - E - A - D + R - E - V - I - E - W !_!_!_!_!_!_!_!_!_!_!_! 


	22. The Truth

SORRY FOR THE WAIT!!!!! SORRY, SORRY, SORRY, SORRY, SORRY!!!!!!!  
  
A/N: This is it! The moment we've all been waiting for (except me)! Can you not feel the tension?! I'm so excited! Now I can finally turn my story around to the musings floating in my head. Par-tay! Hope y'all like the outcome *snort.* Believe me, it's exactly what you all expected, I'm sure. Except things are going to get NASTY! Bwahahahaha! Eeeeeeeevil . . .  
  
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy is an RPG. The only one that I need - wait, why am I singing the Chocobo Robo Song? Don't own the only game that I need, yo.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"May the past that's dark with crimes, bring revenge in future times!"  
  
- Morgra, The Sight (David Clement-Davies)  
  
Mikoto yawned. Ummei was snoring. The other prisoner was meditating. The only sound that could be heard was the ever-present humming and slurping of the pipes in the boiler-room. Mikoto watched the other two quietly. So strange, they were . . . One of them could barely string two sentences together and yet had a hidden brilliance rivaling that of her creator. The other . . . the other was an enigma for sure.  
  
/I wonder who she is . . ./ Mikoto queried, puzzled. /She seems to know so much and yet I don't know a thing about HER! Maybe I'm better off not knowing . . ./  
  
Mikoto glanced at Ummei, who was sprawled out upon the floor with his whip still in one hand. It hit her, suddenly, how young he was.  
  
/If the geonomes were made slowly over time, he must be the youngest one here! Poor kid . . . No wonder they treat him like garbage . . ./  
  
Ummei snorted in his sleep. The sound startled the violet-eyed woman back to reality. She blinked and rubbed her eyes.  
  
"Welcome back . . ." Mikoto said blandly. "Did you enjoy your trip?"  
  
"Mmm . . . Quite," the woman responded dreamily. "I traveled as far away from here as is mentally possible to do,"  
  
"Gee . . . Thanks . . ."  
  
They lapsed into silence. Ummei was still snoring. "You know . . ." the purple-eyed prisoner said suddenly, catching Mikoto's attention. "My meditation can take me to a lot of places . . ."  
  
Mikoto was not feeling patient that day. "And your point?"  
  
"What I mean to say is . . . I was talking to your eldest brother before Garland halted my telepathic powers upon this ship,"  
  
Mikoto sat up abruptly, fists clenched. "You talked to Kuja?! Is he alright?!"  
  
The woman sighed. "If being completely oblivious is alright . . ."  
  
". . . What . . .?"  
  
The fellow prisoner nodded sadly, drawing her knees protectively into her chest. "It's a damn shame Garland has gained back so much power . . . I tried so hard to tell Kuja what I knew but Garland blocked all my important information every time. I even entered Kuja's dreams. No luck . . . I tried to talk to one of the people he was staying with. Blocked once more. In fact, Garland is even interfering with the poor girl's mind to keep me out,"  
  
"Why don't you talk to Zidane?" Mikoto offered. "If anything, you should have gone to him first,"  
  
The woman bit her lip. "I can't . . ." she muttered, blushing. "My powers are not forceful enough for a mind like his,"  
  
"Meaning?"  
  
"His mind is closed. He doesn't accept faraway ideas like voices talking to him,"  
  
Mikoto snorted. "And Kuja DOES?!" she grumbled sarcastically. The violet- eyed woman nodded.  
  
"Well . . . yeah . . . But only because his emotional foundations are slightly chewed through already. He's a very sad person, Mikoto,"  
  
Mikoto blinked, surprised to hear her name after so long. She hesitated, scratching her head before asking the question that had been nagging at her soul for so long. "Is Kuja really doomed like they say . . .?"  
  
The other prisoner raised her head, face clouded over in confusion. "What?"  
  
Mikoto refused to meet those brilliant violet eyes. "You always seem to know things . . . So just tell me now. Is he doomed?"  
  
"I - I don't know . . ."  
  
"Yes! Yes, you do!" Mikoto shouted, laughing. "You know EVERYTHING! But you keep so damn quiet all the time! Is he doomed?!"  
  
There was a moment of sizzling silence as the heat died down. The purple- eyed woman's lip twitched.  
  
". . . Yes . . . Garland's moving closer. Kuja's time is moving closer. Everything's coming together,"  
  
Mikoto frowned thoroughly, thinking. "I thought Kuja was supposed to be dead already. Garland didn't create him to last this long,"  
  
The violet-eyed woman blushed more heavily. "Uh . . . Well . . . about that . . ."  
  
"You know about that too, don't you?"  
  
"Erm . . ."  
  
Mikoto groaned, rubbing her face. "I might as well just shut up and let you do the all the talking, eh?"  
  
A scraping sound filled the room as the door was pried and creaked open. Ummei awoke with a snort and then freaked when he saw Drakja in the doorway.  
  
"Aah! Don't kill me!" he cried, covering his face. Drakja simply rolled his eyes and strolled casually into the room.  
  
"What do YOU want?" Mikoto snapped, deciding not to take any more crap from this guy. Drakja brushed a strand of dark hair back over his shoulder.  
  
"I'm here to talk to HER," he pointed at the violet-eyed woman. "Now that she's finally gotten over her masochism, I have a few questions to ask,"  
  
The prisoner's face remained passive as she stared at him. Mikoto understood that the woman was clearing her mind in case Drakja had some sort of trick up his sleeve.  
  
"It's about the Summoners,"  
  
The woman attempted not to show a drop of emotion. Unfortunately, everyone saw the twitch in her eye at the words. A grin spread sinisterly across Drakja's face.  
  
"From the information I've gathered," he said. "There's only four of them left in the world. Two of them are out of the question; both are of noble status and can't be touched. But the other two are simple peasants. Two women. A mother-in-law and daughter-in-law from what I've heard . . ."  
  
The woman didn't move. Mikoto almost yelped when she heard the other prisoner's voice in her head.  
  
/Don't say anything, Mikoto. I've got to hold my cover . . ./  
  
Mikoto bit her lip. /Don't say a word . . ./  
  
"Get to the point . . ." the violet-eyed woman instructed, her voice nearly monotone. Ummei was shivering. Drakja's eyes were on fire.  
  
"My point? Fine. Did they or did they not have a daughter? A fifth Summoner?"  
  
"I don't believe so,"  
  
Mikoto gut clenched. /She's doing really good . . ./  
  
"Don't toy with me!" Drakja roared, baring down upon the Terran captive. His shadow fell across her, making the woman seem smaller than usual. She was gently touching the wound on her stomach. "I KNOW they had a daughter! I've met her! I've SEEN her! I heard the angels of death discussing her!"  
  
Violet eyes flickered. Green eyes flared. Mikoto's heart sunk.  
  
/Oh god no . . ./  
  
"It's true, isn't it," Drakja queried smugly. "They have a daughter," The geonome laughed, turning away from the group. "Thanks. That was all I needed to know . . ."  
  
". . . Second best . . ."  
  
"Eh?" Drakja halted, glancing over his shoulder. Mikoto bared her teeth.  
  
"I said . . . Second best! That's you, idiot!"  
  
Drakja's eye was twitching angrily. "Wh-what do you mean?"  
  
"I mean . . ." Mikoto hissed, voice dripping with venom. "That you're the SECOND BEST! That's why Garland's after Kuja, isn't it?! He knows Kuja is more of a threat than you'll EVER be!"  
  
CLACK.  
  
"Mikoto!" Ummei cried. The barrel of Drakja's gun was pressed sharply against the genome's head, his finger trembling violently as it held the trigger. He seemed beyond sanity.  
  
"You know nothing!" he shouted as the weapon shook against Mikoto's skin. "You have no idea what Garland is after! This gun . . . This gun is the answer to everything . . ."  
  
The violet-eyed woman gasped, hands over her mouth. "That's . . . Oh my god, that's . . . Don't! Please don't use it!"  
  
"You're . . . You're just a shadow . . ." Mikoto spat. Her stomach slammed into the wall as Drakja whirled her around. The chains twisted as she turned and the shackles cut the genome's wrists open. Blood leaked to the floor. Drakja held the gun several inches from Mikoto. A needle was protruding from it now; another of the mysterious features the weapon held.  
  
"Take it back . . ." he whispered, the needle drawing ever closer to Mikoto's skin. She spat blood onto the floor.  
  
"No,"  
  
"Take . . . It . . . back . . ."  
  
"No! I WON'T!"  
  
However, her protesting turned into a scream as the needle drove deep into her flesh. The blue of her eyes drained away as if someone were sucking the very life from her. As she cried, an image of her body - dead - flickered upon the floor. At the sight of it, the purple-eyed woman screamed so loud that it nearly drowned out Mikoto's cry.  
  
"NO!" she shrieked, throwing herself at Drakja. "DON'T DO IT! YOU CAN'T REVERSE THE EFFECTS!"  
  
Drakja reached a hand behind his back and caught the woman by the throat. She struggled, clawing desperately at his fingers. "Don't . . ." she moaned, eyes rolling up into her head. "Don't do it . . ."  
  
Ummei was on his feet now, clutching the whip in his hand as he shook. "Master . . ." he pleaded. "Master, please . . ."  
  
Drakja's eyes were flashing madly. "This . . . This is what your whole fucking family deserves . . ." he hissed, his entire body trembling violently.  
  
/Flash/  
  
Get out of here! I don't want to talk to you! We will end this on the battle-field! AS IT WAS MEANT TO BE!!!  
  
/Flash/  
  
Ummei was fighting with Drakja now, attempting to pry his fingers off the woman's neck. All the while, the image upon the floor was becoming clearer.  
  
"Let go of them!" Ummei cried desperately. "Let go!"  
  
"DRAKJA!!!"  
  
WHOOSH. Drakja's body slammed into the far wall. Ummei leapt backwards in surprise. The violet-eyed woman crumpled to the floor, clutching her throat as the red gun clattered to the ground next to her. Drakja slid to the floor, clutching his head in agony. "Wh-what're you doing to me?!" he choked out, green eyes rising towards his assailant.  
  
Garland stood there, electricity crackling around his body. His black cape was billowing as if caught in a high wind and his face was that of pure anger. He stepped forward and Drakja held his arms up to shield himself.  
  
However, Garland was not going to him. The overlord was heading towards Mikoto's image flickering upon the floor. His eyes were piercing as he stared down at it.  
  
"How dare you . . ." he breathed, fists clenching. With a snarl, Garland brought his foot down upon the image. Mikoto let out a cry and the blue returned to her eyes. She collapsed to the floor, untwisting the chains around her wrists. Now Garland's full wrath impaled itself through Drakja.  
  
"You," he snapped, signaling for Drakja to stand. The geonome began to do so, but was apparently too slow for Garland's liking. With a swish, Drakja's body was lifted into the air and pinned back against the wall. His head was held against the pipes and he was grinding his teeth in pain.  
  
"Sir . . ." he rasped, green eyes going dim. "Sir, please. Have mercy,"  
  
"Mercy?" Garland queried, disbelieving. "Me show you mercy? I'm sorry, but mercy is reserved for those who follow orders . . ."  
  
"I . . . I'm sorry . . ." Drakja gasped, wincing. "It . . . It won't happen again . . ."  
  
Garland's lip twitched into a sort of half-smile. "No. It won't, will it?"  
  
"No . . . I promise . . . Not until the first angel of death is within my grasp,"  
  
Mikoto dragged herself to her knees, breathing hard and clutching her chest. /The first angel of death? Is this . . . Is this what they're going to do to Kuja?!/  
  
Garland stepped back, and with a swish of his cape began to leave the room. All eyes were now turned to Drakja - green, blue, and wine. The geonome stumbled to his feet, throwing the cloak back off his legs in agitation. He began to trudge off, rubbing his chest furiously.  
  
"Drakja . . ." Mikoto whispered, watching him go. Drakja stopped, hands twitching.  
  
". . . What . . .?"  
  
"You forgot your gun,"  
  
Drakja's eyes flickered over his shoulder. Mikoto tossed him the weapon. Drakja caught it and stormed out of the room without another word.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Bored . . ." Megan whined, staring up at the ceiling. Kuja tossed her a bag of gil.  
  
"Take it," he ordered. "Have fun,"  
  
Megan raised the bag and stared at it. "Are you joking . . .? I'm not going alone,"  
  
/Too bad . . ./ "I can't come," Kuja said truthfully, gazing out the window of Megan's guest-room in Alexandria Castle. Megan rolled her eyes.  
  
"Oh, screw them," she snapped, standing up from her chair and sticking out a hip. "Why should you have to listen to some stupid general and her idiot queen. Who's younger than you, by the way,"  
  
Kuja chuckled at the young woman as he continued to gaze out the window. "I have to . . ." he said, shrugging. "Orders from the queen are final, obviously,"  
  
"Oh, come on!" Megan sighed, throwing the bag of gil onto a nearby table. "You're the brother of the future king! I should think you'd have some say in the matter!"  
  
For the first time in several minutes, Kuja's eyes peeled themselves off of the window. "You - You know about that . . .?"  
  
Megan blinked. "That you're Zidane's brother? Yeah,"  
  
"But . . . how . . .?"  
  
"He told me,"  
  
"Oh,"  
  
/What else does she know . . .?/  
  
"Come on!" Megan pleaded, grabbing Kuja by the arm. "You'll just be in the city! It's not like we're going back to Katei or anything!"  
  
Kuja yanked his arm out of the young woman's grasp. "Megan, please . . . You're not making this any easier,"  
  
Megan slumped back into the chair, sighing. "Damn it . . . This is so totally unfair!"  
  
"Yeah, well . . . At least you're not the one locked up in the castle,"  
  
"Hey, yeah!" Megan cried, sitting up a little straighter. "We can't go back to Katei if you're not allowed to leave the castle!"  
  
Kuja wrinkled his nose. "I thought you were supposed to go to Conde Petie,"  
  
"I am NOT going to some town infested with green dwarves, thank you,"  
  
Kuja laughed, imagining Megan wandering around some town shouting "Rally- ho!" at the top of her lungs.  
  
Megan huffed and stood up from the chair once more. "Well if you're gonna be stuck in some stinkin' castle, the least you can do is leave this stupid room! If you keep this up, they're gonna lock you in HERE!"  
  
Kuja sighed, rising slowly. "Coming . . ." he grumbled, following Megan's retreating form.  
  
At the bottom of the stairs, Kuja heard a voice calling his name.  
  
"Eh?" he glanced down the hall and spotted Zidane running towards him. The blonde genome skidded to a halt, his eyes darting back and forth between Megan and Kuja. He growled lightly.  
  
"FEATHER . . ." he hissed, heavily stressing the alias name. "We've got to talk. C'mere,"  
  
Kuja folded his arms over his chest, chin lifted inquiringly. "Who died and made YOU boss?"  
  
"Queen Brahne," Zidane snapped, grabbing Kuja by the wrist and dragging him off. Megan stomped her foot furiously.  
  
"Curses! I'm going back to my room!"  
  
"What do you want?" Kuja growled, tearing his arm out of Zidane's grasp once they were down another hall and well away from Megan's prying eyes. The younger genome had a look that simply said "you're dead."  
  
"How DARE you cavort around with Megan without telling her who you are!" Zidane chastised angrily, poking Kuja in the chest. The warlock slapped Zidane's hand and turned away, tail quivering.  
  
"It's none of your business what I do," Kuja snapped, glaring icily over his shoulder.  
  
"I think it IS!" Zidane cried, snagging his older brother by the sleeve and flinging him around. Kuja blinked in surprise as the blonde frothed with fury. "Dr. Tot gave me a mission, and I will NOT fail!"  
  
"A-A mission? Zidane, what are you . . .?"  
  
"He told me that before we could accomplish anything, I had to make you tell Megan who you were!" Zidane's shoulder's slumped as the truth came out.  
  
Kuja's deep blue eyes widened as realization sunk in. "So THAT'S what this is all about! Ha! It all makes sense now!" he shook his head sadly. "You've just been following orders from that old coot!"  
  
"No!" Zidane shouted desperately. "You don't understand! It's not morally ETHICAL to keep her in the dark!"  
  
Kuja threw his head back, laughing hysterically at the whole situation. "My word!" he exclaimed, patting Zidane on the shoulder. "We're going to get into ETHICS now, are we?"  
  
Zidane stuck out his lip huffily, then sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Kuja, I know this sounds childish . . . But . . . Dr. Tot's never been wrong. Never. And he sounded beyond desperation,"  
  
Kuja sniffed dismissively. "I'll . . . I'll get around to it sometime,"  
  
"Make it soon," Zidane ordered, frowning. Kuja turned away, his tail brushing Zidane's ankles as he left.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Megan had now officially taken up Kuja's task of staring out the window. /I see why he likes to do this . . ./ she thought, sighing. /It makes you look like you're yearning . . ./  
  
The door creaked open slowly. Megan looked curiously over her shoulder and smiled.  
  
"Feather!" she exclaimed, starting to stand. "What did Zidane - ?"  
  
"Megan, sit down," Kuja instructed, placing a hand on her shoulder and pushing the young girl back into the chair. She looked uneasy at his serious manner, and watched the warlock closely as he pulled up a nearby chair and sat down.  
  
"Feather, what is it . . .?" she whispered nervously. Kuja looked at the young woman closely, pondering what he was actually there to do.  
  
"Megan . . . I . . ." /I can't do this . . ./  
  
"Feather, is something wrong?" Megan queried kindly, taking his hand in hers. Kuja's brow furrowed as he stared down at their joined limbs. "You can tell me . . ."  
  
/She's acting like . . . like we're more than just friends . . . Oh Shiva, what am I supposed to do?!/  
  
"Megan . . ." Kuja began slowly, biting his lip. "I was just wondering . . . That day we first met . . ." Megan nodded, recalling the bloody event. "You passed out. And yet the next day, when I was in your house . . . You acted like it was nothing. You were happy that I'd be staying with your family. Why . . .?"  
  
The young summoner's face brightened considerably. "Is that all this is about? Gee, I would have thought that obvious! You were cute!" she pinched Kuja's cheek laughing. Kuja blinked in surprise.  
  
"S-Seriously . . .?"  
  
"No, dummy!" Megan whacked him across the arm. "You were just a cool person to have around. You were friendly, funny, and . . ." she blushed. "Kinda mysterious . . ."  
  
Kuja's lip twitched into a smile. "Thank you," he whispered quietly. Suddenly, he threw his arms around Megan's shoulders, trying as hard as possible to hold back his tears. Her eyebrows rose in surprise and she patted him awkwardly on the back.  
  
"Feather . . .? What's wrong?"  
  
"Megan, do you promise you'll never forget me?" he pleaded, squeezing her tighter. Megan shifted her head, frowning.  
  
"What do you mean? Why would I - ?"  
  
"Goodbye,"  
  
Kuja planted his lips desperately upon hers. The summoner's eyes widened in surprise, then went dull with pleasure. They parted slightly, though they remained locked in the embrace. Megan curled her fingers in his hair.  
  
"I . . . I've been wanting to do that . . . for years . . ." she mumbled, staring deep into his icy blue eyes. They seemed to dare him further. Kuja smirked.  
  
/I accept . . ./  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"You SLEPT WITH HER?!!!" Zidane cried, staring in utter disbelief at his elder brother. Kuja smiled wryly.  
  
"Yeah . . . Kinda cool, don't you think?"  
  
"IDIOT!" Zidane shouted, pulling on his own locks of golden hair. "You are the most unbelievable . . ."  
  
"I'm still going to tell her!" Kuja defended, growling. "To be honest, I don't even know how it happened!"  
  
Zidane stormed off, not even in the mood to yell at his brother anymore. Kuja rolled his eyes and went trudging back towards Megan's room. Last he'd checked, she wasn't awake yet.  
  
Indeed, when he opened the door he saw the young girl lying snuggled in the covers. She looked . . . very happy. Megan opened her eyes when she heard the sorcerer entering.  
  
"Hey, Feather," she said sleepily, rubbing her eyes and rolling onto her back. "What're you doing?"  
  
Kuja reached into the closet and pulled out the first thing he found - a powder blue dress with a white sash - before tossing it to Megan. She caught it and smiled. Kuja turned away as she began to get dressed.  
  
"Hey, Feather," Megan began, pulling the dress down over her head. "You wouldn't mind if I went out into the city, would you? I mean, it really is dull in this castle,"  
  
Kuja hesitated, glancing over his shoulder. She was dressed, thank god. Now was his chance . . .  
  
"Megan, before you do anything . . . There's something I have to tell you . . ."  
  
"You're gay, aren't you?"  
  
"Wh-WHAT?!"  
  
Megan laughed, sitting down on the bed. "Gotcha!"  
  
Kuja breathed a quick sigh of relief. /Phew . . ./ "Um, no. That's NOT what I meant . . ."  
  
Megan kicked her legs expectantly, waiting. Kuja sighed.  
  
"I think it's time I told you . . . who I am . . ."  
  
Her eyes flickered. "Oh my god . . ." she whispered, leaning forward. "Are you serious?"  
  
"Dead serious," /Unfortunately . . ./ "Now, Megan. Don't say anything until I'm finished. Can you do that?"  
  
"Yes - I mean - " she nodded, blushing. Kuja ran his fingers through his hair nervously before speaking.  
  
"As you know," he began. "Zidane is my brother. Zidane is a genome. And so am I," Megan opened her mouth to speak but Kuja held up a hand. "You may have even guessed that, considering the tail. Anyhow . . ." Kuja swallowed painfully. "My name is Kuja. I'm the first angel of death born from Terra and the Shishon of Saishoja. My creator's name is Garland and I was constructed for the sole purpose of bringing chaos and havoc upon Gaia. Have you heard of me?"  
  
Megan nodded numbly, eyes wide. After all, what Gaian HADN'T heard of The Great Kuja? The sorcerer continued, the pain in his chest growing ever stronger as he spoke.  
  
"In my history I've destroyed an entire planet and almost half a dozen cities. But you probably already know that . . . Some call me the Dark Messenger. And . . ." a tear rolled down his cheek. "I am the one that killed your father . . ."  
  
There was a ringing silence. Megan didn't say anything. Her eyes were shiny as she watched her friend. Kuja slumped down into a chair, shaking slightly. "You may speak . . ." he whispered. Megan didn't. She just continued to watch him. Kuja sighed.  
  
"Megan . . . I would understand if you never spoke to me again . . ."  
  
The summoner licked her lips, looking thoughtful. Finally, she spoke. "Are you sure . . .?"  
  
"Yes . . ."  
  
"Oh. Well, good,"  
  
She stood up with as much grace as a fairy and walked quietly out of the room. Kuja watched her go before sighing and turning back to the window . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: *SCREAMS* HE TOLD HER, HE TOLD HER, HE TOLD HER!!! AND BMD STOPPED PROCRASTINATING! *Gets stoned to death.* Anyways (I hate that word), now what, ne? She sounds pissed but . . . they slept together, so . . . See, I had a reason for that *cough* randomness . . . It'll come into play later. And I almost killed Mikoto, gasp! Well, not really. She couldn't have actually DIED. But . . . Well, wait and find out what happened ^_^ Read and review! The numbers have been poor (I blame it on school, bleargh . . .) So keep my motivation up! 


	23. A Meeting of Minds

A/N: I'm back! Are y'all happy I finally stopped procrastinating about the Megan/Kuja thing? I know I am! Now I can get to the PLOT! Yay! Erm . . . Yeah, that's about all I gotta say ^_^ Thanks for the reviews! Keep 'em comin'! I'm getting close to two-hundred soon, so let's see how fast I can hit the mark, hehe.  
  
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy is, like, so totally not mine . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent."  
  
- John Donne, Devotions, 1624  
  
The following morning, Zidane sat around the dining room table with the others. Quina had prepared breakfast as usual, and was bouncing up and down waiting for them all to try it. Everyone except Amarant commented on the surprisingly good taste. The bandit just grunted and shoveled the food down as fast as he could.  
  
To Zidane, nothing seemed different that morning. For him, life had gone on and everything remained relatively the same. It wasn't until a new presence was added to the room that the genome realized how many things had been distorted during the night.  
  
"Megan?" Garnet queried, her voice raised in mild surprise. The young Summoner stood in the doorway, eyes slightly red from lack of sleep. She looked somewhat zombie-like, and in the surrounding cheerful atmosphere, she seemed to stick out like a black spot in the room.  
  
"Can I join you?" Megan queried softly, gazing down at the floor. Garnet noticed immediately that the young girl was not just over-tired but positively sick. Her majesty stood up hurriedly and led Megan to a chair beside her own.  
  
"Of course!" the queen said cheerfully, allowing the brunette to sit down. "You've never come in here for breakfast before. What's changed?"  
  
"Many things . . ." Megan responded simply, her voice barely above a whisper. Garnet threw a silencing glare around the table at the others and then offered Megan a plate.  
  
"Would you like something to eat?"  
  
"No, thank you . . ."  
  
"To drink?"  
  
"I'm fine,"  
  
Garnet threw Zidane a questioning look. "Well . . . Alright, then, I guess . . ." She sat down herself. Slowly, the conversations started back up again. Megan retreated back within herself, eventually zoning out completely. However, at the mention of a now familiar name, her mind snapped back to reality.  
  
". . . Kuja . . . not allowed to leave the castle anymore . . ."  
  
"Good. Maybe now . . . have some order around here . . ."  
  
Across the table from Megan, Steiner was attempting to explain the current situation to Freya and Fratley, who had not yet been informed of the change. Megan strained her ears to listen, realizing for the first time that their voices were probably lowered so that she wouldn't hear Kuja's real name.  
  
". . . One too many deaths . . ."  
  
". . . Can't forget . . . three years ago . . ."  
  
Fratley had a highly disapproving look on his furry face as he listened to his girl-friend, however, the Dragoon Knight refrained from speaking.  
  
". . . Orders by the queen, too . . ."  
  
"Good. Can't ever forgive . . . So many lives . . ."  
  
That did it. Megan, in a surprising bout of sudden energy, slammed her fists down upon the table with a crash and leapt furiously to her feet.  
  
"THAT BASTARD!!!" she screamed, nearly frothing at the mouth with fury. "I'LL KILL HIM, I'LL - " The young woman gasped and clapped a hand over her mouth as she realized what she was saying. With a squeak, she flopped back into her seat. The others were silent. Zidane's brow furrowed.  
  
/What is she . . .?/  
  
"Zidane, I needed to borrow - "  
  
All eyes turned to the newcomer at the doorway. Kuja was staring in horror at Megan, having not noticed her before. "Uh . . . On second thought . . ."  
  
"Stop right there!" Megan cried, throwing down her chair as she flew to her feet once more. Kuja froze obediently.  
  
"I didn't do it," he said immediately, turning to leave. Megan scrambled towards the doorway and stepped down hard on the sorcerer's tail. He yelped but quickly stifled it.  
  
"Just WHERE do you think you're going?!" Megan snarled, poking Kuja in the arm. "You owe me that bag of gil! You told me to take it, so GIVE it to me!"  
  
Kuja hated to admit it, but he was almost afraid of the girl. Rummaging feverishly through his pockets, the warlock turned out the bag of money and quickly tossed it to her. To say thanks, Megan stepped off his tail. Kuja quickly grabbed the damaged limb and vainly attempted to rub some feeling back into it. Megan smirked, eyes glittering malevolently.  
  
"Thanks . . . KUJA . . ."  
  
There was silence. Eiko's eyes had reached saucer-sized proportions. Zidane could scarcely breathe.  
  
/He told her . . ./ the blonde genome thought wistfully. /The bastard finally told her . . . Shit! I've got to find Doctor Tot!/  
  
Zidane stood up instantly, gave a quick nod to Garnet, and tore out of the room. Kuja watched his brother go, blinking. Then he backed timidly out of the hall and attempted to find a part of the castle as far away from Megan as possible.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Doctor Tot!" Zidane shouted, knocking angrily on the professor's door. "Open up! Come on!"  
  
"All right, I'm coming!" a voice yelled, annoyed, from the other side. The door creaked open to reveal Tot standing there, looking flustered and a bit agitated. "What is it?"  
  
Zidane folded his arms across his chest. "Megan knows," he said simply. Tot gasped, took off his glasses, and wiped them on his shirt in an excited sort of manner.  
  
"Seriously?" Zidane nodded. The doctor let out a sigh of relief. "Thank god . . . Come inside,"  
  
Zidane stepped through the threshold into Doctor Tot's Alexandrian office. It was roomy if not a bit disorganized. The bookshelves were spilling over with leafy volumes and the desk was cluttered with papers. The teacher signaled for Zidane to pull up a chair before seating himself behind the desk.  
  
"Well," Tot began, leaning back in his seat. "I see we've made some progress. How did the girl take it?"  
  
"Not good," Zidane admitted, scratching his head. "You should've seen her. The poor thing's turned into a wildcat,"  
  
Tot nodded. "But does she at least treat him like Kuja, now? Not whoever she thought he was before?"  
  
Zidane looked confused for a moment. "I . . . I guess so . . . Yeah. She calls him Kuja and acts like just about everyone else. Resentful . . ."  
  
The great Alexandrian scholar tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Well, as much as I hate the idea of Kuja being pestered, this may actually benefit him more than he realizes,"  
  
Zidane cocked his head. "How so?"  
  
"Well," Tot attempted to explain the situation slowly. "You see - though I may be wrong - I think those people - whatever they are - have been with your brother for awhile. I don't know how or why, but I just believe this to be true. Now, you're probably wondering why they haven't made an appearance before now, right?"  
  
Zidane bit his lip, unsure of where this was going. "Right . . ."  
  
Tot straightened his glasses and cleared his throat. "I'll be honest, Zidane. Kuja was living in a dream-world. He really became this "Feather" in a sense. Nobody treated him like Kuja, and he stopped being Kuja. This left him like any other person. Those things inside him were simply subdued while he was Kuja. But as Feather, they saw the perfect opportunity to resurface. And if Garland was blocking Kuja's magic as I've heard, then that only gave them a greater chance,"  
  
"But why would Garland do that?" Zidane queried. "If he knew that would allow those people to resurface?"  
  
"Precisely!" Tot exclaimed, leaning excitedly over his desk. "Why, indeed?! What does Garland plan to accomplish that would involve making Kuja strong enough to defeat even him?"  
  
Zidane shook his head in disgust. "This doesn't make any sense . . . Garland's basically giving Kuja more power! Enough power for Kuja to destroy all the geonomes and his own creator!"  
  
Tot slumped back into his chair. "There is something missing here . . ." he muttered. "Some piece of this puzzle is missing . . . I may need more time to think. I just know that if Kuja remains Kuja, perhaps he can keep those people in check,"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Well, well, Drakja," Garland murmured, leering down at the geonome. Drakja shifted nervously. He had only been in Garland's main quarters once before, and that had been for "allowing" the Summoners to escape from Dali. "It seems you've got a hotter temper than I realized . . ."  
  
"I said I was sorry!" Drakja snapped. "What more do you want?!"  
  
Garland smirked. It was like watching his first Angel of Death as a child . . . "What do I want?" he queried. "I want success. If another failure should come about then I would be most displeased. I've planned the next attack, and I want a Summoner by the time it's over. Is that understood?"  
  
Drakja blanched. /Should I tell him . . .? No! That bastard doesn't deserve to know!/  
  
"What is the next target?" the geonome asked, his green eyes flashing. Garland tented his fingers and grinned.  
  
"I think I would enjoy watching Esto Gaza burn. What do you think?"  
  
"Sounds . . . delightful . . ."  
  
Garland nodded approvingly. "Good. But first, have we heard word from Madeline?"  
  
Drakja's lip twitched into a slight smile. "Yes. She's returned to the volcano already in preparation for our little friends. Mist if flowing freely to Terra. And - as you requested - a leak has been sprung on Gaia. The planet shall soon be covered in the dregs of souls once more . . ."  
  
Garland laughed, feeling the joy of blessed victory after so many years. "Excellent, Drakja! Come, let us prepare the weapons!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
That night, all of the Lost Continent was under strict lockdown. Esto Gaza had burned for the greater part of nine hours before citizens from a nearby village managed to put out the blaze. Though the Lost Continent was the smallest continent on Gaia and the least populated due to the extremely cold temperatures, it was estimated that nearly two thousand people perished in the pyre.  
  
But the loss of life was not what scared Gaia the most. The most frightening thing was that the attack was done - and looked - exactly the same as the attack on Dali. Which meant ALL of Gaia was a target now . . .  
  
"What are we going to do?" Garnet moaned, slumping over in her throne. Zidane watched his fiancé apprehensively from a nearby couch.  
  
"There's not much you CAN do," Regent Cid muttered, shaking his head. "This all seems very random," he glanced at Lady Hilda for a moment but she refused to meet his gaze. Eiko was scowling at him as well. Garnet raised an eyebrow.  
  
Vivi straightened his hat and glanced around the room. "Do you think Garland would go after Alexandria again? M-maybe I should go back to my kids . . ."  
  
Regent Cid cleared his throat. "Speaking of leaving . . . I'm afraid I can no longer stay. Not while my kingdom is in danger . . ."  
  
Garnet sat up immediately. "Uncle Cid . . . Are you going back to Lindblum?"  
  
Cid shifted uncomfortably, eyes averted to the floor. "It cannot be helped. Eiko must come with us,"  
  
"This is so unfair!" Eiko shouted furiously, leaping to her feet. "I don't want to go! Everyone's HERE!"  
  
"Please Eiko," Hilda pleaded. "I know this is hard . . . But your country . . ."  
  
Cid raised a hand. "I'll make a deal," he said as formally as possible. "Eiko can stay. But only if she stays OUT of danger,"  
  
Eiko gasped. "Can I, Dad?!"  
  
Cid nodded glumly. "I spoil you . . ." he grumbled. "But I trust these people and I guess it wouldn't be right, seeing as how you just got here,"  
  
"Besides," Hilda said, putting an arm around Cid's shoulder. "Eiko's used to living alone . . ." Eiko nodded proudly.  
  
Freya's whiskers twitched. "I must be honest . . ." she said slowly. "I've been thinking long and hard about returning to Burmecia . . . If it were to be attacked, I would want to be with it; fighting for it," Fratley looked up in surprise.  
  
"Freya . . . You did not tell me about this,"  
  
"I'm sorry . . ."  
  
"This is a mess . . ." Steiner whispered to Beatrix as they stood stationed at the front doors. The general nodded, watching her friends sadly.  
  
"Quina stay here always!" Quina exclaimed, bobbing his head. Lani nodded.  
  
"I ain't got nowhere else to go. I'm staying. What about you, Amarant?" Amarant shrugged. Vivi bowed his head, his hat drooping down over his orb- like eyes.  
  
"I can't forget my kids . . ." he murmured apologetically. "Mikoto's watching them, but . . ."  
  
"Oh, please!" Garnet pleaded. "Don't leave, Vivi! Freya! You can't! I - I need you guys! This situation . . . I've never had one like this before . . ."  
  
"Yes, you have," Freya countered. "This is like the Great War all over again!"  
  
"Yeah, but you guy were with me then!" Garnet snapped.  
  
Arguments began to break out immediately.  
  
Kuja could hear them all the way from the library. Normally he would have joined the conversation, but today he wasn't in the mood. So instead, the sorcerer locked himself in the library and continued to read The Great War book. He was engrossed by it; and rather disgusted too.  
  
He also knew that a conference was coming up in less than an hour. Great leaders from around Gaia were making emergency trips to Alexandria to discuss their plans. Well, one thing was for sure:  
  
Kuja was staying away from that!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
At dawn, Alexandria Castle was so packed that the people could barely fit into the conference room. All over, great nobles and leaders were sitting in a circle: rats from Burmecia and Cleyra, Qus from the marshes, dwarves from Conde Petie, Treno nobles, governors of smaller towns, the priests from Esto Gaza, black mages from the village, and miscellaneous people from every continent in the world. They were all muttering, waiting for Garnet to give the word.  
  
Dagger was talking in a low voice to Zidane, who - as the future ruler of Alexandria - was seated next to her. Finally, the queen cleared her throat and the conference began.  
  
"Good people of Gaia!" Garnet greeted them all. "We're gathered here together because a crisis is at hand. We are always told to learn from our mistakes, and our mistake the last time this happened was that we remained apart and allowed ourselves to be devoured," Garnet glanced accusingly around the circle. "Due to our isolation and tensions with each other, during the last war we allowed Cleyra, Burmecia, Lindblum, Alexandria, and dozens of smaller regions to be destroyed. And when the Iifa Tree uprooted itself, it was every town for itself. Right now, I ask you. Who is with us?"  
  
There was a slow murmur rippling through the circle. However, no one spoke. Seeing that this was getting them nowhere, Regent Cid stood up.  
  
"As the Regent of Lindblum," he said, raising his voice to be heard around the circle. "I have chosen to unite with Alexandria, just as my country did last time. Though I shall be returning to my kingdom shortly, I want it known that I will stand by Queen Garnet throughout this entire thing," Garnet nodded gratefully to him as he sat down, before raising an eyebrow around the circle once more.  
  
Suddenly, the king of Burmecia stood, and his eyes were flashing coldly. "The last time a war like this was sprung, my city was reduced to mere rubble and graveyards. My people were forced to flee to Cleyra, only to meet their doom once more. We have spent three years rebuilding our city, and I personally do not wish to see it go down once more. Two have fallen already, and I have made my decision. Burmecia shall stand by Alexandria,"  
  
Garnet breathed a sigh of relief. Obviously, the king still remembered how she and her friends had saved many of his people last time, not to mention his son. Garnet hesitated as the king sat down.  
  
"Who else here chooses to unite with us?"  
  
A black mage raised his hand timidly. "We shall join," he said softly. "Our numbers are small, but Zidane's people have managed to spare most of us. Their technology is superb, and we will help in any way we can,"  
  
A nearby Qu nodded. "As spokesperson for marshes, I say we stand by Alexandria! Much of land burned away last time, but this time we unite! Qus agree to help! And thank queen for letting Quina stay in castle! He hero now!"  
  
Quina shook his head, looking as embarrassed as Quina can get. Garnet could feel relief sweeping through her body. "Who else?"  
  
Several people stood and stated their loyalty to Alexandria; the priests of Esto Gaza, the rulers of Daguerreo, Queen Stella of Treno, the leader of Conde Petie, and dozens of assorted smaller territories. Garnet could have burst with joy. But only one city had not yet spoken.  
  
The spokesperson from Cleyra had remained relatively silent the entire time. And now all eyes were focused on her. She looked around mildly, before speaking.  
  
"Cleyra chooses isolation," she said simply. "We do not like war, and we wish to stay out of this. Whether at the cost of our new settlement or not,"  
  
"Rubbish!" the king of Burmecia snapped, one of his ears ticking in aggravation. "This is what happened last time! You chose not to fight, and look what happened! You lost EVERYTHING to that war!"  
  
"Do not raise your voice to me," said the Cleyran placidly, gazing at her brethren from Burmecia. "I do not appreciate your tone. This is Cleyra's decision. We will not back Alexandria or anyone. We stay out of war. It is for fools only,"  
  
There was a sudden outburst at her comment, and several people were on their feet. Garnet watched helplessly as the leaders argued. Though they had sworn alliance, none of them agreed with each other. It was obvious that they wanted different things and to use different methods.  
  
Would Gaia repeat the same mistake as last time?  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Megan could hear the arguing from outside the castle. She rested back against one of its stone walls, listening to the shouts of frustration. Would Gaia really fall this time? The only reason it had been spared during the Great War was because Kuja and his creator had finally been defeated.  
  
"Bah," Megan snarled, slamming her fist down in the grass. "I knew he was too good to be true! That IDIOT! I can't believe it . . ."  
  
Megan's voice trailed off as she spotted a strange apparition in the distance. She got up on her hands and knees, squinting to get a better view. A strange fog seemed to be coming over the horizon. It was thick. Very thick. And yet there were no clouds in the sky . . .  
  
Megan's glasses fogged up immediately. She took them off and gently waved her hand through the air. Her eyes widened in shock.  
  
"Is this . . . Mist . . .?!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
After the attack on Esto Gaza, Garland had - of course - not found a Summoner. He had dispatched geonomes all over Gaia in search of one while he planned his next attack. Naturally, only Drakja and Lulian were told what the next target would be. However, Dart was not content to sit behind the scenes. And she wasn't planning on doing it alone . . .  
  
"Come ON, Ummei! What's the big deal?! It's not like we're gonna get caught!"  
  
"B-b-but what if we do?!" Ummei cried, trying in vain to yank his sleeve out of Dart's grasp. The female growled and gave him a harsh tug that knocked the younger geonome to the floor. From there, she hauled him onto her back and attempted to carry him like a sack of potatoes down the hall. Ummei kicked and shrieked the whole way.  
  
"No!" he screamed. "You can't make me eavesdrop! I'm supposed to be guarding the prisoners!!! We're gonna get caught!"  
  
"Of course we will, if you keep up that RACKET!" Dart screeched, jerking suddenly in an attempt to scare Ummei. It worked and he let out a squeal before shutting up. One of the geonomes nearby smirked as he watched them pass.  
  
"Geez, Dart. Couldn't you have picked a better mate?" he teased.  
  
"Shut the hell up, Chikara! I'm just trying to help him build character!" Ummei let out a sob of misery. Dart jerked him once more.  
  
Chikara was practically exploding with laughter. "You - help HIM?! Ummei's hopeless! The guy can't even teleport properly!"  
  
"Can so!" Ummei hissed as Chikara became further and further away. Chikara smirked.  
  
"Oh yeah? Dodge THIS!" he whipped out a dagger and thrust it with lightning fast accuracy at Ummei. The boy shrieked and attempted to claw his way up Dart's back.  
  
"Cut it OUT!!!" Dart screamed, thrusting Ummei off her shoulders with a thud. He hit the ground hard and looked up in fright at the dagger jammed and quivering in the wall. Chikara's laughter could be heard from down the hall.  
  
"Now then," Dart whispered, pressing a finger to her lips. "Let's see what we can hear . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Garland stood over the podium, holding out a map for Lulian and Drakja to see.  
  
"Here," he pointed with one black-gloved finger. "This is the next spot. From what I've gathered, the Summoners are in the north. So I've picked the most heavily populated city on Gaia's northern-most continent,"  
  
"That should be an easy target," Lulian observed, peering curiously at the map and the foreign cities she'd never seen. "The nearest populated lands are the marshes and the village of the Black Mages," she ran her electric- green fingernail down the path on the world map. "They pose no threat . . ."  
  
"On the contrary," Garland hissed, brow furrowing. "If my sources are correct, my other creations are living in that village as well. I don't believe them to be a problem, but I can't have them destroyed. I need them alive; for now . . ."  
  
Drakja cocked his head, staring at the map. "I say we just blow the hell out of the place and hope we flush somethin' out . . ."  
  
Garland rolled his colorless eyes but saw the truth in what Drakja said. His only chance was to simply destroy the city and hope he got a Summoner in return . . . He nodded.  
  
"Fine. We'll do it your way. Drakja, Lulian, get prepared. Tonight, Conde Petie shall burn . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ummei blinked slowly, unsure of what he'd just heard. Dart gasped, backing away from the door.  
  
"Geez, it's a slaughter!" she exclaimed. "The Master's just taking out random cities now! He must be REALLY desperate!"  
  
Ummei rose to his feet, watching Dart closely. "Can I go . . .?" Dart shrugged.  
  
"Whatever . . . You're a disgrace . . ."  
  
Ummei nodded thankfully and went tearing off for the prison.  
  
When he got there, it was to find Mikoto and the purple-eyed woman sitting in silence. He'd been noticing more and more lately how truly imprisoned they'd been seeming. As if all hope were gone and their minds had long since died.  
  
"Hey," Ummei whispered, walking over and waving a hand in the purple-eyed woman's face. She blinked and looked up at him blandly.  
  
"Oh, hi Ummei . . . 'sup?"  
  
Ummei remained perfectly still. "I know the next target . . ."  
  
". . . Yeah . . .?"  
  
"Uh huh,"  
  
"That's fabulous . . . "  
  
"D'you wanna know what it is?"  
  
"Sure . . ."  
  
A smile crept onto Ummei's lips. "Conde Petie,"  
  
"WHAT?!?!!!" The violet-eyed woman leapt to her feet in horror, looking on the verge of hysteria. "Are you JOKING?!?!!"  
  
"No . . . Why . . .?"  
  
"Fool!" she screamed, smacking Ummei on the arm. "That's where I sent the Yorokobi's!"  
  
". . . So . . .?"  
  
"That's the Summoners, you dolt! Garland's going to get the Summoners!"  
  
Ummei's face clouded over in confusion. The woman groaned and attempted to explain it as you would a child.  
  
"Okay . . ." she said slowly. "Garland wants the Summoners. To protect them, I sent them to Conde Petie. Garland doesn't know where the daughter is, or the rest of the family. If Garland attacks Conde Petie . . ."  
  
Ummei blinked, and his eyes blazed. "Garland will find a means to apprehend the Summoners, but the fulmination could possibly obliterate them! Thus his plans will become feasible and most likely you will meet your demise! Correct?"  
  
In the corner, Mikoto rolled her eyes. The purple-eyed woman sighed.  
  
". . . Correct . . . You are absolutely correct . . ."  
  
Ummei's eyes glazed over. "Correct means right, correct?"  
  
They all groaned once more.  
  
"Listen!" the woman shouted, clutching Ummei's forearms. "You HAVE to save those women! If you don't - "  
  
"Whoa, whoa," Ummei backed away, shaking his head. "What are you saying? That I have to LEAVE the ship?"  
  
"Uh huh,"  
  
"Nope. No. Out of the question. You couldn't get me to do that for a billion gals,"  
  
"Gil," Mikoto corrected from the corner.  
  
"Gil. Whatever. There is NO WAY I'm going to disobey order like that. Not a chance,"  
  
"You wouldn't do it for ME?" the woman whimpered, pretending to be hurt. Ummei shook his head.  
  
"No, I guess I wouldn't . . ."  
  
"Come on, Ummei!" Mikoto shouted, glaring at him. "Be a man! Show us where your loyalties lie!"  
  
"M-my loyalties . . .?"  
  
Mikoto nodded. "Yeah. Think about all the times Drakja whipped you and called you stupid. Think about how they stuck you in here with US. How they don't let you do anything. How Garland called you a defect in the cycle . . ."  
  
Ummei's lip twitched. "A defect in the cycle . . ." he repeated.  
  
"Don't you wanna sock it to 'em?"  
  
Ummei punched a fist into his hand. "I'LL DO IT!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: *Gasp* Ummei gone traitor?! Well, we all saw it comin' . . . As for that other geonome, Chikara, he's gonna be trouble. So is Dart. Also, I'm proud to say the crew will be leaving Alexandria soon (thank God). So things will start to pick up pace. Also, did you notice that Vivi doesn't know his kids have left the village and that Mikoto's gone? That's gonna be important later. And I've started work on the next chapter (to avoid big gaps like last time) and it's REALLY angsty at the beginning. Just a warning ^_^  
  
R is for read. E is for everyone. V is for . . . uh . . . veraciously! I is for intellectually. E is for 'else I'll kill ya. And W is for . . . why? As in, why aren't y'all reviewing?! Just kiddin . . . hehe. R/R!!! 


	24. Ignorance is Bliss?

A/N: I'm ba-ack!!! Sorry for the wait but, yeah . . . the usual excuses. Actually, I laid off writing for a few days 'cause when I found out about the Final Fantasy VII sequel movie (Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children) I sort of freaked out and couldn't stop thinking about if for days straight (my mom was threatening to get the shot gun if I didn't stop giggling and muttering crap about buster swords and evil scientists ^_^). I wrote a fic during the muse; you can see it if ya want. It's in the Final Fantasy VII section (duh) and it's called My Awakening Nightmares. For those who know the game and Sephiroth's history (which means you'd need Vincent Valentine) it's an eerie one-shot where Vincent is released from his coffin for one hour and runs into Sephiroth (only eight years old *giggles* kawaii!) showering himself in mako at one of the Shinra labs. But Vincent doesn't recognize Lucrecia's son until it's too late . . . *sniff.* So yeah. This chapter's short. I'm sorry, but the next few scenes require me to stop where I did. It just makes the story flow better . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"I'd rather be a could-be if I cannot be an are; because a could-be is a maybe who is reaching for a star. I'd rather be a has-been than a might- have-been, by far; for a might have-been has never been, but a has was once an are."  
  
- Milton Berle  
  
"Sir, there is somebody here who wishes to see you,"  
  
". . . I don't want to see anyone . . ."  
  
"But sir . . . It's Drakja . . ."  
  
The silver-haired man clenched a fist in his lap, a small shudder running through his body.  
  
". . . What does he want . . .?"  
  
"To see you, sir. Should I send him away?"  
  
The man hesitated. "No. I want to talk to him . . . Now,"  
  
There was the sound of retreating footsteps and a door creaking open then shut. The silver-haired man bit his lip. He could feel his body shaking. When the door opened once more, he did not even look up.  
  
Another man stood in the threshold, his green eyes obviously troubled. He glanced at the servant beside him, forcing the minion to back timidly out the door. Then he turned his attention to the man sitting facing away from him. What he saw caused the green-eyed newcomer to close his eyes with grief.  
  
A woman lay in the bed, the covers pulled up to her chest and her arms resting on top. The poor creature's skin was the color of melting snow, and her hair lay in tangles around her head. But the sheet did not rise or fall with her breath, and the stench of death seemed to fill the room. Lying beside the woman was a small bundle. And it, too, did not move.  
  
"Oh god, Saishoja . . ." Drakja whispered, keeping his eyes averted from the sight. "I'm so sorry . . ."  
  
Saishoja sat upon a stool beside the bed, his back to the green-eyed man. He let out a shaky breath and Drakja noticed Saishoja's shoulders were shaking.  
  
"We . . . We did not even name him . . ." the silver-haired man rasped, unable to keep the pain out of his voice.  
  
"Saishoja, I'm so, so sorry . . ."  
  
Saishoja turned around suddenly, and Drakja felt as if a knife had gone through his heart. Tears were flooding down the silver-haired man's face like endless pools of grief. He seemed unable to stem the flow, and his breath was coming out in short gasps.  
  
"I can't see them . . ." Saishoja moaned, staring strangely at Drakja. Drakja shuddered. It had been a long time since he'd seen Saishoja's eyes, and he'd forgotten how strange they were. Colorless, really. As if they were nothing but the whites.  
  
"I can't see them . . ." Saishoja repeated.  
  
"Saishoja . . . What happened . . .?" Drakja asked tentatively. The silver- haired man clutched a fist near his chest, turning his face towards the floor.  
  
"The child . . . something went wrong . . . And then they . . . they both . . ."  
  
He could not bring himself to finish the sentence. There was such agony in his colorless eyes; such pain. But then there was anger. Anger as cold as the room.  
  
"This . . . This didn't have to happen . . ." he snarled lightly, waving his hand across the room. "This room was to bring life, but instead it has only brought DEATH!" Saishoja stood up furiously, baring his teeth in such a way that Drakja stepped back. "I left them in the custody of Tanjo! They were the best! But they - YOU - have failed me!"  
  
Drakja gasped, eyes wide with disbelief. "Are you . . . Are you BLAMING me for what happened to your wife and child?!"  
  
But Saishoja was beyond comprehending what the green-eyed man was saying. His fingers were trembling as they reached for the sword resting against the wall. Drakja's eyes flickered and for a moment he readied himself for a fight. But then Saishoja clutched the hilt and hastily sheathed his weapon.  
  
"I'm going back," said the general flatly, brushing a strand of ivory hair over his shoulder. "I'm leaving this accursed city. In all my years of childhood, my mother would not allow me to enter this . . . this place. Now I know why . . . It is a hellhole!"  
  
Drakja glanced back at the corpses before reaching towards the retreating man. "W-wait! What about - "  
  
"Burn them," Saishoja snapped, not even looking over his shoulder. "If I cannot see them, then they must leave this planet,"  
  
But Drakja wasn't finished. "But Saishoja! Surely returning to Shi - "  
  
Saishoja stopped and a cold, malicious smile flitted across his lips. "They will hear of this, my dear Drakja. The people of Shi will know of Tanjo's deeds by noon tomorrow. So if I were you, I'd take that general position you were offered . . ."  
  
Drakja watched, dumbfounded, as the door slammed soundly in his face.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Drakja sat bolt-upright and hurriedly stifled a gasp. The words still flickered like fireflies through his mind - the agony of Saishoja's words. He fumbled clumsily out of bed, running his fingers robotically through his hair.  
  
". . . Drakja . . .? What're you doing . . .?"  
  
Drakja let out an "eep" of surprise and turned around. Lulian yawned and stretched, rubbing her eyes sleepily and smearing mascara across her face. Drakja raised an eyebrow.  
  
/How did she . . .? How did she get there . . .? Oh well, lucky!/  
  
"Drakja, is something wrong?" Lulian queried thickly. Drakja took a deep breath and shook his head, a shaky smile on his face.  
  
"Um, nothing, Lulian," he lied. "I think I'll . . . I'll go get ready for the attack later,"  
  
Lulian yawned, collapsing back on the bed. "That's a . . . That's a good idea . . ." she was asleep within seconds.  
  
But Drakja did not go get prepared. Instead, he went in search of Garland . . .  
  
When Garland heard about Drakja's dream, he seemed - at first - troubled. Then rather amused.  
  
"Yes, Saishoja was quite the cold fish, wasn't he?" the aged Terran chuckled, watching Drakja's agitated movements closely.  
  
"Garland, you did not tell me that Saishoja had a wife and child," Drakja hissed rather accusingly. Garland sighed, shaking his head.  
  
"First of all, he didn't have a child. The poor thing was a miscarriage and cost its mother her life. Second of all, why should it matter?"  
  
Drakja blinked. That thought had never occurred to him before. Why did he care about Saishoja's life? Saishoja was dead. Had been for hundreds of years. And yet that angel of death - Kuja - was he not Saishoja reborn in a way? So why did Kuja seem so different from his ancestor?  
  
"Drakja," Garland's voice was heavy, and his piercing eyes held his servant's gaze. "You mustn't trouble yourself with the petty lives of a has-been such as Saishoja. It does not affect you in any way. And I assure you, whatever aspects of Saishoja's life affect Kuja, I am currently . . . Taking care of . . ."  
  
Drakja gulped, but nodded. "Yes, sir . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Zidane sighed heavily, watching the arguing leaders. "Morons . . ." he grumbled softly to himself. Garnet shushed him and stood up.  
  
"People, people, settle down!" she shouted, trying to get her rather tiny voice heard above the snarling. Unfortunately, now all eyes were focused like lasers upon her, and she suddenly felt like she was in the spotlight. A blush upon her cheeks, Garnet began to speak.  
  
"People, I understand that there is a conflict of interests here . . . But if Cleyra chooses isolation, then so be it. We can't force someone to ally us. Then they would not be an ally. But please, we mustn't argue!"  
  
However, Queen Stella of Treno was on her feet, a suspiciously sly look upon her feathered face.  
  
"Why, my dear Queen Garnet. I understand that you wish an alliance to protect us all from this mysterious "assailant" but if my memory and informational sources are correct, do I not recall that the culprit of the last bout of attacks is currently living within this castle?" her voice rose several octaves upon the last fragment of the sentence, the queen unable to keep the ecstasy out of her voice.  
  
At the crestfallen look upon Garnet's face, the room fell silent. Zidane was sitting up alertly now, eyes dancing with fright. How had Stella found out?! Beatrix and Steiner were shifting at their post, prepared to get nasty if things got out of hand. When Garnet had composed herself and found her voice, she spoke.  
  
"Y-yes, that is true . . . However, we know for a fact that he is no longer a . . . a threat . . ."  
  
Queen Stella smirked, fanning herself haughtily. "Oh my dear queen, please do not lie if you cannot keep the fear out of your voice," she turned around the circle of nobles, eyes dancing mischievously. "Could not Alexandria be our enemy?"  
  
A ripple of unease ran through the circle. The king of Burmecia was shaking his head doubtfully. But others were standing now, demanding the truth.  
  
"He should be locked away!" a red mage was shouting, shaking a fist around the gathering room. "We have no proof that he is not the culprit unless he is dead!"  
  
Beatrix glanced fearfully at Zidane, who's eyes were narrowed dangerously.  
  
"Zidane, don't do anything stupid," Freya warned, leaning over from several seats down. "There's no telling what a few unwise words can do to a group like this . . ."  
  
Zidane placed a hand on Garnet's shoulder and stood up. But he didn't begin to argue. Instead, he walked straight out of the room, leaving the surprised faces of Gaia behind him . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kuja had stopped reading the library book altogether. He strained his ears, listening to the death threats emanating from below.  
  
/They still think I'm capable of that sort of destruction?!/ the warlock thought in disbelief. /Unbelievable! What a bunch of naïve bastards!/  
  
"Hmph," Kuja snapped to another page in the book and began to absorb himself within it once more.  
  
The door opened behind him, and light flooded into the room. Kuja hesitated, glancing over his shoulder. Zidane stood there, and he wore a look of the utmost determination on his face.  
  
"Kuja . . . You have to go down there. It's turning into a riot,"  
  
The blood drained like a faucet from Kuja's face. "Wh-what?! Have you been listening to what they've been saying down there?! There's no chance in hell I'm going anywhere NEAR that freak-show!"  
  
A low growl escaped Zidane's throat. "You have to, Kuja! You have to defend yourself! They're accusing you of destroying Dali and Esto Gaza!"  
  
"Well that's there problem then, isn't it?" Kuja snapped coldly, turning away from his brother once more. Zidane came up behind him and fiercely grabbed the genome by the arm.  
  
"It'll be YOUR problem if they come up here in their ignorant state!" he shouted, glaring into Kuja's awestruck face. "I thought you didn't want to be persecuted anymore!"  
  
Kuja's face fell. He knew Zidane was right, but . . . But how could he show his face to the public like that? Most people didn't even know he was alive. How the hell had they found out?!  
  
"Come on!" Zidane snarled, yanking Kuja out of the chair. "Let's go before they get the flaming torches!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The arguing seemed on the verge of spilling out of the room now, and people were shouting so ferociously that even the Treno nobles had dropped their British accents and high-class acts. Beatrix and Steiner were in the midst of the circle, using their swords to keep people at bay. Garnet watched helplessly, all the while wondering where her fiancé had gone.  
  
Suddenly the door flew open, and there stood Zidane, his eyes glowing with a furious energy. A hush fell over the nobles as faces turned towards the blonde. Zidane stepped lightly into the room, his tail swishing with agitated jerking motions behind him. And even more surprisingly, he had brought someone with him.  
  
"Here is your proof," Zidane hissed at the Gaians, waving a hand in Kuja's direction. Kuja stood there motionless, looking nervously around the circle. For once, even Freya couldn't mistake his fear for some sly plot against humanity.  
  
Most of the people were stricken dumb with surprise. Many of them had only heard of Kuja in stories, and others hadn't seen him for years. But more importantly, almost everyone in the room had been sure he was dead . . .  
  
"Do you understand now?!" Zidane shouted, glaring at the leaders. "Kuja isn't even allowed to leave the castle! He hasn't been for days! Ask anyone here if Kuja's left Alexandria and you will hear a confident no!"  
  
"But he is a sorcerer, and capable of non-physical violence!" a scholar from Daguerreo noted suspiciously. There was much nodding of heads at the comment. Zidane rolled his eyes. There was no way to get through to these people that Kuja and Alexandria were not the threat . . .  
  
"Kuja," Beatrix hissed in his ear, coming up beside the warlock. "Kuja, you have to defend yourself! Please!"  
  
Kuja was frozen. He just shook his head, staring fearfully at the floor.  
  
"They won't listen . . ." he murmured. "I'm the enemy . . ."  
  
"Oh for crying out loud! Be a man!"  
  
"Leave me alone . . ." Kuja turned away from the general. He could feel the eyes on him. They were full of hatred and loathing. Lani was watching with fascination.  
  
"Amarant . . . Do you think he's going to say anything?"  
  
Amarant snorted. "Are you kidding? That wuss . . ."  
  
"I feel bad for him . . ." Vivi said softly, watching his creator empathetically.  
  
"It's what he deserves . . ." Freya snarled.  
  
Kuja glanced around the circle. The faces were expectant. They were waiting for him to defend himself against the wrath of Gaia . . .  
  
"I-I don't want any trouble . . ." Kuja mumbled, tail sweeping the floor. "I can't even use my magic anyways . . ." he lifted a finger, attempting to light a flame. There was a spark, but it flickered and died within seconds.  
  
Zidane frowned. /I didn't realize his magic was so bad . . . Why is Garland doing this to him . . .?/  
  
"He lies," a Burmecian said simply. "Everyone knows he's been attacking Alexandria for weeks . . . I was there. I saw him do it . . ."  
  
"Th-that wasn't me!" Kuja shouted suddenly. "I don't even REMEMBER doing it!!!"  
  
"Please, we need to keep that situation out of this," Beatrix commanded loudly to the circle. "It's completely unrelated and has nothing to do with Kuja,"  
  
Explosive arguing ensued.  
  
But finally, one who had kept quiet almost the entire discussion spoke.  
  
"The man responsible for these disasters is the man who was pulling the strings last time,"  
  
Dr. Tot seemed strangely placid as he sat there, watching the squabbling flash across his glasses. Zidane, who'd been walking towards his brother suddenly stopped.  
  
/He knows something . . ./  
  
"Oh, and do you plan on enlightening us?" Queen Stella queried superciliously. She raised a delicate eyebrow, smirking through her beak. Tot nodded, rising.  
  
"I'd be glad to,"  
  
Steiner looked nervously at Beatrix. It was obvious that Tot had some information they had not yet heard.  
  
"You see," the scholar began. "If I might take us back three years, you must all remember the things Kuja did to Gaia. That is probably the reasoning behind your ignorance. However, it seems none of you are aware of the man who was ordering and controlling Kuja. The man Kuja broke free from,"  
  
"Garland," Zidane whispered. Tot nodded.  
  
"Yes, Garland. Well it would be lying to say Garland hasn't returned. He has. And this time he seems to be using Kuja indirectly. In other words, Kuja's not the problem. Nor is Alexandria," Tot added, glancing at Garnet. "The threat is Garland. Garland is capable of destruction beyond reasoning. And currently we aren't fully aware of his plans,"  
  
"He's trying to get rid of Kuja," Fratley muttered off-handedly. Tot shook his feathered head.  
  
"No, I don't think he is. He's helping Kuja gain power in such a way that Kuja can't fight back,"  
  
Zidane's eyes widened. /Of course . . . Give Kuja powers that he can't get away from . . ./  
  
"Kuja," Tot turned suddenly to the First Angel of Death. "You know Garland better than any of us. What do you think he wants?" he was watching Kuja curiously, and it was obvious that he was attempting a round-about way of explaining himself.  
  
The warlock blinked, taken-aback. Eyes were boring into him on all sides. He bit his lip.  
  
"Uh . . . Probably the assimilation of Gaia and Terra,"  
  
"Not vengeance?" Tot queried. Kuja shrugged.  
  
"I doubt it. That's not Garland's style. Stick to the quest and gun it,"  
  
"Exactly," Tot smiled. "Garland wants to finish what he started. How did he try to do it the first time?"  
  
Kuja closed his eyes, thinking how everything connected. "Well, he attempted to get rid of the Summoners and then got me to make wars so that he could collect souls to give to his genomes and,"  
  
"Okay, that's enough," said Tot, raising a wing. "The point I'm trying to make is that Garland's plan sounds like a repeat of what he did the first time, except tweaked,"  
  
"Tweaked?" Garnet wondered aloud. "How so?"  
  
Tot's eyes were shining with glee.  
  
/He knows . . ./ Zidane thought wistfully.  
  
Tot was grinning from ear to ear. "Because, my dear queen . . ."  
  
"Garland no longer has the souls . . ."  
  
These words seemed to trigger a strange response from the First Angel of Death. He swayed, clutching onto Zidane's shoulder for support. The blonde, albeit startled, quickly caught his brother.  
  
"Geez, Kuja . . ." he slowly lowered the sorcerer onto his knees. The Gaians were watching with a mixture of shock and sudden doubt. Tot was nodding to himself, his thoughts obviously confirmed.  
  
"Do you see?" Beatrix growled to the circle of nobles. "Kuja's not a threat. He's been like this for quite some time. Does this look like a man capable of genocidal destruction?"  
  
No one answered as Beatrix carefully helped get Kuja to his feet.  
  
"You alright?" she queried, peering into his face. Kuja started to nod but suddenly winced. There was a flash of red in his eyes that made Beatrix's gut clench.  
  
/Dear god . . . They're still there . . ./  
  
Suddenly, right before the eyes of the leaders of Gaia, Kuja flung himself at Tot and collapsed before the old teacher's feet.  
  
"Please, Tot . . ." he pleaded, clutching one of his feathered hands in desperation. "You have to help me get rid of them . . . Their voices . . . They won't stop . . ."  
  
Tot's eyes were sympathetic. "I'm sorry, Kuja. I can't . . . For more reasons than one,"  
  
Kuja's blue eyes took on a defeated look. ". . . Why . . .? Please, you and that woman are the only ones who can help me,"  
  
Tot sniffed. "I can't help you, Kuja. Perhaps a year ago I could've but - "  
  
"Wh-what changed a year ago . . .?"  
  
A silence fell over the room as Tot responded, and it left no doubt in anyone's mind that Kuja was innocent.  
  
". . . Because a year ago the limit on your life ended . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Um . . . hi. I'm a, uh, foreigner . . . And I, uh, want to . . . come in?"  
  
"Yeh have ta say thah sacerd greeten' afore we beh lettin' ya en,"  
  
"Wh-what . . .?"  
  
"Rally-ho! Now yeh tra,"  
  
"R-rally-ho?"  
  
"Tha's a good lad. C'mon en,"  
  
Ummei stepped cautiously through the entrance, his green eyes traveling over the strange Irish architecture and tiny, green people wandering through the town.  
  
He had finally made it to Conde Petie . . .  
  
/This place is seriously screwed up . . ./ the geonome thought to himself.  
  
"'scuse me!" he shouted to a female dwarf outside the nearest house. "I'm looking for a family called the Yorokobi's. You heard of them?"  
  
"Ah, the Yarakobens," the dwarf said enthusiastically. "They be livin' nair the church. What ye be needin' em fer?"  
  
/Yarakobens . . .?/  
  
"Um, I just want to talk . . ."  
  
"Shar! Ye jus' be walkin' through the market and when ye be seein' a steeple, they be in theh hoos,"  
  
Ummei scratched his head nervously. "Um . . .Okay . . ."  
  
The trip was not a fun one. Green, smelly dwarves shoved their way by as Ummei fought his way down the crowded market street. And every time he asked for help he was bombarded by inaudible Scottish accents. Eventually he became so tired that he collapsed down against a building. When he looked up, there was the steeple . . .  
  
"Aw, gee . . ."  
  
So now he walked to the church. And sure enough, right outside was a small cottage. Trembling with nerves, he knocked on the door . . .  
  
"Hello . . .?"  
  
There she was. Curling locks of blonde hair, intense blue eyes, small wrinkles in her still somewhat youthful face.  
  
Ummei blushed. "Um, are you Mrs. Yorokobi?"  
  
"That I would be. And . . . who are you?" she was looking Ummei up and down, eyes traveling from his strange clothes, to the whip in his belt, to his frightened emerald eyes, and then back down to his mahogany tail curled around his leg.  
  
"M-my name's Ummei - " /Damn . . . Why'd I say my name . . .?!/ " - And I'm here to tell you, er, you have to leave,"  
  
Mrs. Yorokobi raised an eyebrow. "Uh . . . huh . . . Well, whatever you're selling, we're not interested. Thank y - "  
  
"No, please! Here me out!" Ummei cried desperately. Mrs. Yorokobi frowned as an old woman came up beside her.  
  
"Martha, what's going on here? Who's the tailed runt?"  
  
Megan's grandmother was gazing calmly at Ummei, arms folded across her chest. Ummei gulped.  
  
"Please, miss . . . I came here to give you the message that you have to leave,"  
  
"And why is that?"  
  
"Because it's no longer safe," Ummei said, shrugging. The older woman raised an eyebrow.  
  
"And we should believe you . . . why?"  
  
Ummei wracked his brain. What could he say that would make them trust him? Then he remembered . . .  
  
"Because," he said softly. "I was sent by the purple-eyed woman . . ."  
  
The Summoner's eyes widened immediately. The elder frowned.  
  
"I see . . . Come, Martha. We'll go pack,"  
  
Mrs. Yorokobi blinked. "Um, alright. Thanks, you weird, weird, creature," and she slammed the door in Ummei's face.  
  
For a moment he stood there, dumfounded. Then he grinned.  
  
"YES!!!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: *Sigh* Ummei's excited 'cause he actually DID SOMETHING RIGHT!!! Go tailed runt, go! Aw, poor Kuja-baby. He in nasty shape ^_- Oh, and I'm gonna do a little spoiler (don't expect it usually). Yes, Tot knows A LOT about what's going on, but he doesn't know EVERYTHING. Put in simpler words, Tot doesn't know enough to save Kuja or any of the other characters from the peril Garland will be unleashing shortly. Particularly Kuja. However, Tot IS right about being unable to get rid of those people. We aren't going to learn about that for quite some time, but you'll soon start to see that this plot takes on a catch-22 sort of feel. Literally, everything leads to Kuja's death (check my profile for more information on the plot). *Sigh* Poor Kuja-sama . . .  
  
ReAd AnD rEvIeW!.!  
  
P.S. If you want to see the Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children trailer, go to fftheme.lowerego.net. It's totally awesome! Sephiroth is SOOOOO hot now that the characters look human. *Pictures Sephiroth and starts fanning herself and sweating* Oh yeah . . . 


	25. His Own Volition

A/N: Yay! Chapter twenty-five! Doesn't that have a nice sound to it? Uh . . . What to say, what to say . . . Um, just that we learn a little more about Garland's plan in this chapter. Not much, but you can sort of pick out where he's heading. Also . . . I have yet ANOTHER warning ^_^! Yay! The warning is: HUGE, ENORMOUS, GIGANTIC HUMOGONOUS CLIFFHANGER WARNING!!! I know, I'm evil . . . mwahahaha!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"The best proof of love is trust."  
  
- Joyce Brothers  
  
Mrs. Yorokobi couldn't believe what was going on. First she was living all happily in Madain Sari with her OWN kind, then it blew up. Then she was living peacefully in Katei and some woman with weird eyes told her she had to leave. Next thing she knew, she was being herded through Conde Petie, unable to understand a word her fellow townspeople were saying. So now what? She's going BACK to Katei! Sent by a kid with a TAIL!  
  
"This world's gone mad . . ." Mrs. Yorokobi muttered bitterly as she threw various outfits and accessories into a bag.  
  
"You almost done in there, Martha!" her mother-in-law called from the other room where she, too, was stuffing crud into a suitcase.  
  
"Almost!" Mrs. Yorokobi kicked her bag out of the way and began furiously throwing open drawers. "Oh for the love of Atomos! Where did I put it?!"  
  
The older woman peeked her head through the door curiously. "Lose something, dear?"  
  
Mrs. Yorokobi growled angrily, her search becoming frantic. "Yobi-Dasu, I can't find the sword!"  
  
"The sword?"  
  
"The Masamune! That's a family heirloom! It's worth billions of gil! It's the only one ever made; one of the most valuable items on the entire continent!"  
  
Yobi-Dasu blushed slightly, shuffling her feet. Mrs. Yorokobi froze in mid- toss and her clear blue eyes rose, flaming, up towards her mother-in-law.  
  
"Yobi-Dasu . . . What did you do with the sword . . .?"  
  
Yobi-Dasu put on her most innocent (and obvious) expression. "Why, Martha, dear, whatever do you mean?"  
  
Mrs. Yorokobi was now rising slowly to her feet, fists clenched. "I'm not kidding here, Yobi . . . I swear on my idiot husband's grave that if you - "  
  
Yobi-Dasu rolled her eyes and shook out her frizzy gray hair. "Well if it's so gosh darn important to you, I gave it to Feather right before he left,"  
  
Mrs. Yorokobi blinked, uncomprehending. "You . . . You gave it to HIM?! Why, in the name of Bahamut, why?!"  
  
The elder woman sighed, gazing placidly at the ceiling. How to explain it . . .  
  
"Martha, please. The boy loved that sword more than anything. I didn't say he could keep it, though from what I've seen the little snob can certainly afford it . . ."  
  
"Yobi . . ."  
  
"Martha, please! He and that sword are a good match. All he ever did was sit around cleanin' the damn thing. So eventually I broke down and told him to take it and shut up! It's in safe hands . . ."  
  
Mrs. Yorokobi was laughing hysterically with disbelief. "Safe hands?! You call those hands safe?! The hands that are stained with the blood of the very virgin innocence?!"  
  
"Okay, now you're going a little far . . ."  
  
"Whatever. What I mean to say is you just gave a dangerous sorcerer - who doesn't know we know he's dangerous - one of the most powerful weapons on the planet,"  
  
"Martha, I know what I'm doing," Yobi-Dasu's eyes crinkled as she smiled.  
  
"I hope so . . . Or I'll kill you . . ."  
  
The elder woman snorted, hauling a bag over her shoulder.  
  
"C'mon, let's just go. We're not accomplishing anything standing here . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Are you ready?"  
  
"Ready,"  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"I'm sure,"  
  
"Are you REALLY sure?"  
  
"Dart! Would you shut the hell up?!!" Drakja shouted from down the line. Dart smirked - having just tormented an "innocent" geonome - and kicked at a pebble.  
  
"I'm bored!" she whined, gazing down the seemingly never-ending line of geonomes. They stood there - at least a hundred - in a straight row half a mile from Conde Petie. Most geonomes were sharpening their weapons, preparing for the attack. Hidden strategically at various points were the leaders - Drakja, Lulian, etc. Chikara was baring his teeth as the reek of battle came to his nostrils.  
  
"Hmph. Pathetic," Lulian growled, tail thrashing. "Let's just get on with it! We're gonna get those damn Summoners!"  
  
"Orders from Garland first," Drakja snapped from about fifteen geonomes away. He couldn't show his guilt at their lost cause. He blushed. "Just get ready,"  
  
Lulian nodded, her ears already folding back and fur sprouting from her face. She melted, sloshing, into her German Shepard form.  
  
Drakja breathed slowly. The breeze was cold as it blew over the awaiting army. He was trying desperately to suppress the original Drakja's fiery emotions. He was fighting a losing battle . . .  
  
/Flash/  
  
Now, Saishoja . . . Now we end it . . .  
  
You wish . . . Heh.  
  
/Flash/  
  
"Damnit," Drakja muttered, running his fingers through his rich hair. Then he heard it; the soft whisper brushing like wind through his ears.  
  
Garland.  
  
"Go!!!" Drakja screamed, pointing his sword towards the horizon. "Go! Go! Go! Go!"  
  
And like a ripple of advancing thunder, the geonomes roared, charging across the barren plains of the outer continent, ready for the slaughter.  
  
They would leave none alive . . .  
  
And in the mad dash they did not notice two women peeking out at them from behind a bush . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Freya Crescent's nose twitched as she stood against the gates of Alexandria.  
  
/Blood has been spilled . . . Much blood . . ./  
  
"Is something troubling you, my dear?" came a familiar, soft voice from around the corner. Freya turned slowly, seeing Fratley's anxious form. The dragoon knight wheeled back to the gate, gingerly sniffing the air.  
  
"Do you smell it, Fratley?" she queried. "The stench . . . of death . . ."  
  
The Iron-Tailed nodded, eyes narrowed. "Indeed . . . It comes from the north. What could have happened?"  
  
Then the sirens blared. Freya ducked, white with shock, and clutched onto Fratley's coat.  
  
"An attack!" she cried. "There was another attack!"  
  
"Oh no . . . What now?" Fratley snarled, the fur on the back of his neck rising. "The leaders have returned to their cities . . . They won't be able to tail Garland!"  
  
Alexandrian soldiers were charging down the streets. "Lockdown!" they cried. "Everyone inside!"  
  
"Back to the castle . . .!" Fratley hissed, nudging Freya away from the gate. "Come, we must hurry!"  
  
Guards were surrounding the castle by the time they got there, ready to defend the structure at a moments notice. The soldiers recognized the Burmecian couple and allowed them entrance across the moat. However, when Fratley attempted to walk through the door, he was nearly trampled by a screaming brunette wearing a pair of thick glasses . . .  
  
"Megan, no!" came Garnet's shrill cry. She reached desperately for the deactivated Summoner who shoved angrily past Freya, shrieking.  
  
"Stop her!" Zidane yelled, coming up frantically beside his fiancé. Luckily Fratley was in the line of fire. At the last minute he brought his spear down on the train of Megan's dress, forcing her to the ground. She collapsed there, sobbing and beating her fists into the dirt.  
  
"No, no, NO!!!" she cried, tugging on her hair. "This isn't HAPPENING!!!"  
  
"Megan. Megan, dear, calm down," Beatrix cooed, coming from around the side of the castle. She yanked Fratley's spear out of the young girl's dress and gently hugged Megan's sobbing form.  
  
"No!" Megan moaned, tears pouring out from beneath her glasses. "Mom . . . Grandma . . . They're all dead!"  
  
The others were filing slowly into the entrance. Vivi's amber eyes were wide.  
  
"What?"  
  
"They were in Conde Petie!" Megan wailed, burying her face in her hands as Beatrix tried to comfort her. "But the geonomes slaughtered EVERYONE! I - I have no one left! I'm - I'm an ORPHAN!!!" she burst into another fit of hysteria, leaving the rest of the crew dumbfounded and silent.  
  
Kuja stood in the entrance hall of the castle; disconnected from the rest of the group, brooding as usual. It was all too much. Tot's words had left him even more confused than before and now Garland's attacks had become three times more random. Why Conde Petie? What could he possibly want from a town of Scottish green dwarves?  
  
"Have you nothing to say?!" Garnet spat suddenly, gaze smashing onto the dazed sorcerer. The crew could see that she, too, had tears in her eyes for the lost girl at her feet. "How can you just stand there?!"  
  
Kuja refused to meet her tear-streaked glare.  
  
/What does this all mean? Why can't I understand Him? My own master? I should be dead . . . Shouldn't I? Why has Megan lost her family at the hands of my creator? Why?/  
  
Beatrix was watching Kuja closely. The others seemed torn; undecided between staring sympathetically at Megan or curiously at Kuja. The warlock was obviously spaced beyond grasp. He shook his head, thoughts warring through his mind.  
  
/All your problems could be solved . . ./ a voice whispered like a knife through his musings. Kuja pushed it back.  
  
/I'm not listening . . ./ he whispered to himself.  
  
/Obviously you are. This hatred . . . Why not use it?/  
  
/I'm not going to use it./  
  
/You did once before. Didn't it work out beautifully? All the vengeance and destruction you ever wanted . . . You could kill Garland now, you know./  
  
/I'm not listening!/ Kuja practically sung.  
  
/Use your anger. Let us help you./  
  
Kuja closed his eyes wearily. /Stop . . ./  
  
/You're nothing without us. Just like before./  
  
/There was a before? There was a time when you weren't here?/  
  
A small laugh echoed through his skull. /Yes . . . Don't you remember . . .?/  
  
/. . . No . . ./  
  
/Fool. How silly mortals are . . . Use us. You have used us before . . . Let your true nature show . . ./  
  
Kuja could feel the claws scraping through his soul. But this time . . . the feeling was pleasurable . . . A small smile creased his pale lips.  
  
/My true nature . . ./  
  
". . . No . . ."  
  
Eyes burning to red. All conscious thought lost. The flooding of power . . .  
  
Kuja dropped to his knees, trembling furiously. Megan sniffled, glancing over her shoulder.  
  
/Oh god . . ./  
  
The crew was on their feet within minutes. Beatrix - quick on the draw - grabbed Eiko and Megan and dragged them away from the door just as a blonde blur leapt in front of her.  
  
"Back away!" Zidane shouted angrily. "Everyone get out of here! I'll hold him off!"  
  
"No, Zidane!" Garnet cried shrilly. "Not by yourself!"  
  
Kuja snarled, rising slowly to his feet. His hair was streaked red, his tail ringed with black, eye flaming with a psychotic energy. Zidane whipped out his daggers, leering angrily at his deranged brother.  
  
"Back off!" Zidane shouted. "I'll kill you!"  
  
As the others scurried to the sides, away from the obvious danger, Lani yelped.  
  
"Zidane can't kill his brother! Not if he doesn't know what he's doing!"  
  
"It's what they call an 'empty threat,'" Amarant grumbled. Quina shook his flabby head.  
  
"Not empty! Zidane gonna kill Kuja!"  
  
Zidane's eyes were flashing. "I'm not joking, you vermin. I will kill him . . ."  
  
Kuja laughed, though his voice was not his own. "And free us? Such a clever boy . . . Or perhaps a tad foolish?"  
  
With a cry, Zidane flung himself forward, daggers poised for the attack. Kuja laughed and - with a simple gesture - sent a blazing wall of water crashing through the entrance hall and straight at Zidane. The blonde genome braced himself, and for one moment he was sure it was the end. Closing his eyes, he placed himself securely in the threshold and - reaching back - closed the door with a locking click. He could hear Garnet's muffled scream as she lost sight of her doomed fiancé.  
  
With a thud, the wave smashed hard. A roar like thunder rose into the air. Zidane waited, and when he didn't feel the crushing of his own bones, he slowly opened his eyes.  
  
The barrier. The barrier was surrounding his body once more; protecting him.  
  
"What in the world . . .?"  
  
Kuja levitated a few feet into the air with a "hmph."  
  
"Why won't you die?" he queried more to himself than anything. "What makes you so special?"  
  
Zidane didn't respond. He was staring at the rippling wall of energy around him, noticing how the water from the wave sloshed against its sides but was not granted entrance. His boots weren't even wet . . .  
  
/Kuja . . ./ he thought wistfully. /The Kuja who knows me as a brother won't let me die . . . Then that means no matter how much They surface, the real Kuja is still in there . . . somewhere . . ./  
  
Zidane looked up dreamily to see Kuja's face inches from the barrier. He was floating in midair, arms folded across his chest.  
  
"You really are a nuisance . . ." the warlock muttered, his voice still carrying the faint traces of the others within it. "I have to dispose of you . . . But how . . .?"  
  
Zidane continued to watch with his crystal-blue eyes out of focus. He had never felt so lost and confused in all his life . . . Like the foundations of his world were collapsing in around him . . . The way he'd felt when he'd stumbled across Kuja's dying body in the Iifa Tree . . .  
  
/Kuja was uninjured this time . . ./ Zidane's mind whispered. /He had no reason to change . . . Did Kuja let them surface of his own volition . . .? Or . . ./  
  
"Why are you so difficult . . .?" Kuja queried, flying above the barrier and looking down at his protected victim. "Our mission was to kill all in Kuja's way . . . So why can't I kill you?"  
  
/Did Kuja give them that order? To kill me?/  
  
"Funny . . . Garland gave you such a powerful soul. Could that be what's causing this? Are you more powerful than Kuja, perhaps?"  
  
Zidane stared up at his brother just in time to see a single crimson feather fall loose and drift lazily to the floor. Zidane's heart skipped a beat.  
  
/Is it just me . . . Or are They stronger than last time? Not only that, but . . ./  
  
The barrier was weakening. The dome of energy was growing thinner and now Zidane could see a trickle of water seeping in from beneath it.  
  
/It's both./ Zidane realized, horrified. /Those people are getting stronger . . . And Kuja's getting weaker . . . That purple-eyed woman was right! Their power is killing him!/  
  
"Kuja!" the words burst suddenly from Zidane's mouth. He pressed his hands against the barrier, blue eyes widening desperately as he realized the inevitableness of the situation. "Stop!"  
  
Kuja laughed, crimson eyes glittering. "Ah, so the defenses have weakened, eh? Excellent,"  
  
"No! God damn it!" Zidane punched the barrier furiously, tears forming in his eyes. If he didn't bring Kuja back soon . . . His brother would . . .  
  
The wall had almost completely faded. Zidane noticed for the first time that Kuja's face was paler than before and red feathers were peppered throughout his hair; which was now more red streaked with silver than anything.  
  
/Like Trance . . . Except Kuja has no control over himself . . ./  
  
"Please Kuja," the genome sobbed, dropping to his knees. "You can't leave . . . Not now . . ."  
  
"How touching," his brother smirked. "Are those your last words? Pathetic," he raised his delicate hands slowly, and Zidane spotted the beginnings of a spell that struck fear into the hearts of millions . . .  
  
"Ultima . . ."  
  
"Yes, it's a nifty little trick, isn't it?" Kuja queried smugly. "Our own personal creation, actually . . . Kuja never learned it himself,"  
  
"Wh-what . . .?"  
  
"Ah, isn't it lovely?" Kuja's multi-layered voice chuckled. "The destruction of Terra . . . And it was all Our fault . . ."  
  
"What the hell are you talking about?! Nothing makes sense anymore!"  
  
Kuja was suddenly grinning widely, hands shaking with glee. "Yes . . . Yes, it's working! The freedom . . . The call of the Mist . . . The body becomes a vessel . . . which greets a new soul . . ."  
  
A sigh rolled softly off Kuja's lips. As if someone had cut his strings, he fell through the air and crumpled like a doll to the floor. The barrier evaporated with a swish. Zidane gasped.  
  
"NO!!!"  
  
A thousand miles away, Garland crowed with glee.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
". . . Drakja . . . Do you see this light? Tell me my eyes do not deceive me,"  
  
Drakja stood obediently by his master's throne and turned his poisonous green irises onto the strange red glow emanating from Garland's armor.  
  
"It's much brighter than before, sir,"  
  
Garland smirked darkly. "This light means my plans are working perfectly. With only one minor glitch . . ." he glanced sidelong at Drakja who shifted nervously. Garland continued. "It seems every day the glow increases. They're growing stronger, Drakja. Far stronger than they ever were before . . ."  
  
Drakja furrowed his brow. "But won't Kuja die . . .?"  
  
Garland shrugged. "He may be dead already. What difference does it make?"  
  
"Um . . ." Drakja frowned. "It's just . . . Don't be mad sir, but a recent report shows the Mist has not yet encircled Terra. If They were released, they could go anywhere. You would have no way of capturing them,"  
  
Garland raised a dangerous eyebrow. ". . . Excuse me . . .?"  
  
"Th-the Mist has not even spread completely across Gaia,"  
  
". . . I see . . . Then it cannot be helped. I'll replenish Kuja's magic reserves. The Angel of Death will live . . . For now . . ."  
  
Drakja nodded nervously. Garland did not seem too happy. Now there were two glitches in his plan . . . That and the lack of Summoners found at Conde Petie . . . The aged Terran gazed forward, sighing.  
  
"Come to think of it, I may have plans for my first Angel of Death, yet,"  
  
Drakja blinked with surprise. "Like what?"  
  
Garland leaned back in his throne, tenting his fingers delicately. "There is much I do not yet know of Kuja's connection to Saishoja. It would be interesting to see - "  
  
"You mean you're going to let Them grow stronger in Kuja?"  
  
Garland smirked. "When the time comes, I will take back what is rightfully mine. The bastard took all my power. It belonged to me. Perhaps through Saishoja's powers, They will become even stronger. Then, when I myself am strong enough, I will finish the assimilation that I intended years ago,"  
  
Drakja bit his lip. ". . . Will the geonomes lose their souls . . .?" he queried uncomfortably. It was a topic he did not like to think about. There was nothing a creature feared more than to die and suffer for eternity. Garland's eyes glittered maniacally in the darkness.  
  
"Your souls will be spared," he said softly. "You are already the perfect Terrans. As for my genomes, however . . . They are slowly gaining their souls. I will take them from the fools, and replace their undeserving souls with the souls of Gaia. You need not worry, Drakja. There are far more souls on Gaia than I need,"  
  
"But what will you do with the rest?"  
  
Garland grinned viciously. "The same thing I plan to do with Kuja . . ."  
  
Drakja gulped and shuddered.  
  
"However . . ." Garland's voice rose slightly in a taunting sort of manner. "Perhaps I could feed a certain geonome's soul back into the assimilation if a certain geonome doesn't fix a certain problem in my plan . . ."  
  
Drakja's jaw stiffened. To lose his soul . . . To die again . . .  
  
/No!/  
  
"Garland . . . Just out of curiosity. What do you know of the remaining Summoner family?"  
  
Garland shrugged, uninterested. "They are two women. That is all,"  
  
"And did you know about the daughter?"  
  
Garland glanced suspiciously at Drakja. "Daughter?"  
  
"Yes, sir. You have seen her. The little imp that's running around with Kuja. Light brown hair . . . Glasses . . ."  
  
Garland sat up instantly. "How do you know this?"  
  
Drakja couldn't help himself from smiling. "I eavesdropped on one of their conversations and heard it,"  
  
Garland sat back in shock. "Then if I could just capture the girl . . . My search is over! Drakja, get Lulian. Now! We've got a Summoner to kidnap!"  
  
Drakja grinned widely, finally back in his master's favor. "Yes, sir!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: Aw, damnit Drakja. Why'd ya have to go and open your big fat mouth?! Stupid geonome . . . I'm happy to say I have several concept sketches for this fic that I might put up soon! Whoo Hoo! Progress! Sorry for the cliffy . . . Hehe . . . 


	26. A Terrible Emergency of Veritable Urgenc...

A/N: Eek, I made you all wait awhile! Bad BMD, bad! So, who had a good Halloween? A friend of mine and I were Spartan cheerleaders from Saturday Night Live. It was so cool . . . Anyhoo . . . What to say? Um . . . Oh yeah! First off, this chapter is much longer than the last few have been (hey, I'm just following the script I wrote out a year ago). Also, I want to make sure no one missed a part of the story that will be mentioned again. I made several comments a little while ago about Saishoja having weird eyes. It will come up again in this chapter. I repeat: IT WILL COME UP AGAIN IN THIS CHAPTER!!! In other words, DON'T FORGET ABOUT IT!!! IMPORTANT PLOT-POINT GIVEAWAY!!! Heh. This chapter's kinda cool . . . Lulian's such a bitch. And more mystery unfolds about the people in Kuja. He frees them for a few seconds. Or did they free themselves? MWAHAHAHAHAHA!!! I'll never tell. Seriously, by the end of this story I'll never tell.  
  
Disclaimer: You thought I owned Final Fantasy?! What are you, stupid?!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"It requires wisdom to understand wisdom: the music is nothing if the audience is deaf."  
  
- Walter Lippman  
  
Zidane's scream echoed through the chamber and filled the entrance hall with a swell of terror. But the sound was overlapped by a crash and boom as Steiner and Beatrix managed to smash the door down and throw themselves in - and the rest of the crew - with a cry of determination.  
  
"Zidane!!!" Garnet screeched. The barrier vanishing gave the impression of collapsing over the genome's head. The group gasped as Zidane fell to his knees, wincing as a wave of unused energy washed over him.  
  
But the next scene was so strange that until years after the end of this tale, no one was exactly sure what happened.  
  
Kuja's body lay lifelessly upon the floor, unmoving. As he lay there, the room was filling with an unearthly wail. There were screams and cries and the sounds of clawing and pain mingled in. From Kuja's body, hundreds of lights were shooting out into the chamber and filling it with an eerie glow.  
  
The crew shielded their eyes, staring in awe at the strange apparitions.  
  
"What in the world . . .?!" Lani whispered. It was obvious that the screams were coming from the little balls of light. They were flying through the room furiously as if trying to escape. Zidane shivered, huddling up against the wall. Something about the little globes of luminescence was making him . . . nauseous . . . And the screams were getting harsher. Zidane squinted thorough the light, staring at Kuja's body. There was something strange . . . He couldn't look away . . .  
  
Suddenly, out of nowhere, Kuja's eyes snapped open with a hiss. Zidane had to stifle a scream. They were white and as empty as his dead body . . . They seemed to be leering at him, through him, past him . . .  
  
Into him . . .  
  
The crew was covering their ears now as the wailing increased. Eiko was on her knees.  
  
"Why . . . won't . . . it . . . stop?!"  
  
Vivi moaned. All at once, one of the lights thrust itself down from the flurries near the ceiling and, before anyone could react, shot into Garnet's body. She screamed, tumbling to her knees.  
  
"Your majesty!" Steiner cried in horror. Garnet shuddered, eyes rolling into her head. Freya managed to catch the young queen before she fell. A faint glow emitted from beneath her eyelids.  
  
"No!" Beatrix gasped. "One of Them is in HER now! She'll wind up just like - "  
  
She meant to say Kuja, but the sentence was never finished.  
  
There was a hissing sound as if a giant gasp were sucking the air from the room. The balls of light seemed to shriek and flee, scattering into the corners of the chamber. And then, as if pulled on invisible strings, they were dragged from their hiding places and right back to their original source . . . Kuja was re-absorbing them . . .  
  
The group covered their eyes as an explosion rocked the hall. There was a burst of light that filled the room in a damp chill and, from behind their eyelids, the crew watched the glow recede. Now that it was safe to look, they saw the thousands of little lights vanishing back within Kuja's body. His blank eyes remained open, staring at Zidane. The blonde felt like throwing up . . . Garnet arched her back in pain as the light within her popped out of her body and was drawn back to Kuja.  
  
"Wh-what's happening?!" Vivi yelped as little sparkles ghosted past his face.  
  
"They're returning!" Fratley gasped, watching in fascination.  
  
"Quina no like!" sobbed the Qu.  
  
The last light vanished with a swish. The crew hesitated. Something else was happening . . .  
  
"It's not over yet . . ." Amarant muttered.  
  
Kuja jerked forward into a sitting position, clutching his head in agony. His eyes were closed tight in pain as a fierce wind wrapped itself around the sorcerer. His hair billowed out behind him and - receiving a deserving scream from the crew - the silver locks were turning a deep blood red. Feathers sprouted from his hairline just as his lips turned black and dark rings twisted around his tail. His eyes opened furiously for one fatal second and they were a violent crimson. But not the full-socket color he'd sported the last few times. Only the irises were red . . . and they were angry . . .  
  
Beatrix, forgetting herself, whimpered. ". . . He's Tranced . . ."  
  
Kuja's eyes lurched onto his brother. Zidane shook his head, tears threatening to spill. ". . . No . . ."  
  
And then it was over. A wind swooped up from the floor, lifting Kuja's hair, and the next thing they knew he had been washed clean and back to the way he always was. His silver locks collapsed over his shoulders as his sapphire eyes glazed over in shock. He groaned, seemingly confused (the crew was pretty sure the warlock had no idea where he was) and then fainted. Zidane scrambled to his feet and was at his brother's side within seconds.  
  
"Kuja!" he called desperately, falling beside the Angel of Death. Kuja winced. At least he was alive . . .  
  
The others were coming in slowly behind them while Beatrix stayed behind to rouse Garnet from her sleep. The queen's eyes opened slowly and they were devoid of any glow. She only uttered one word before collapsing once more, and that word - coupled with what the crew saw next - set a feeling of unease upon them that could not be topped.  
  
". . . Mother . . .?" It was a question.  
  
Eiko peeled her eyes away from Kuja and looked up, face twisting in confusion. She ran her fingers, disbelieving, through the air.  
  
"Guys . . ." she whispered, eyes widening with fear. "This entire chamber . . ."  
  
". . . is filled with Mist . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kuja was still pretty dazed and confused as Zidane helped him up the stairs.  
  
"Are you serious . . .? I Tranced . . .?"  
  
"Yup. I forgot how freaky it looked," Zidane kept a firm grip on Kuja's arm as he glanced at Steiner, who was carrying Garnet's unconscious form up the stairs beside them. "You kinda reminded me of a strangled phoenix . . ."  
  
Kuja, despite the fact that the world was tipping and he wasn't totally sure if he was on Gaia still or not, rolled his tired eyes. "Thank you . . . You are most kind . . ."  
  
"Always try to be," Zidane said cheerfully. Garnet moaned slightly, shifting in Steiner's arms.  
  
"At least . . . phoenixes . . . are pretty . . ." she muttered.  
  
Zidane smirked. "Must be the shock setting in . . ." Steiner leered at them both as Kuja made a face that somewhat resembled a tiger with its buttons in the process of being pushed.  
  
"What's everyone else doing?" the sorcerer queried, trying to glance over his shoulder but realizing if he did he'd probably faint from dizziness. The stairs looked like they were about to swallow him whole.  
  
"They're just sorta moseying, I guess," Zidane responded, shrugging with the shoulder that wasn't holding up his brother. "They're trying to cool down the people and keep them from thinking another attack happened. On top of that, they need to call off the lock-down," Zidane frowned. "Come to think of it . . . I think Beatrix wanted Lani and Amarant to help her find Megan. The girl vanished after they broke through the door,"  
  
Kuja seemed ready to say something but closed his mouth with a snap. "Bah . . . What do I care about her . . .?"  
  
Zidane didn't respond. This matter was between Megan and his brother . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Megan sighed softly, swirling her cup of tea. It had been too hot, so she'd let it sit outside for awhile. Now it was too cold and tasted like old shoe leather . . . The hustle and bustle around her was like a droning buzz as people crowded through the market streets and past the small outdoor restaurant. They didn't know anything . . .  
  
Megan had immediately run to Amy and sobbed into her friend's shoulder for at least a half an hour. But Amy's family was still in Katei and she didn't understand . . . She never would . . . Miserable, Megan had eventually dragged herself out in Alexandria's market square and plopped herself down at one of the outdoor restaurant tables. A sympathetic smile came her way occasionally, but the world seemed to pass her by, uncaring . . . For the first time in her life, Megan felt completely and utterly alone.  
  
/Flash/  
  
"When you were having nightmares . . . What were they about?"  
  
"They were pointless. Just flicks of memory . . . From my past . . . What's important is that you're alright,"  
  
/Flash/  
  
Megan bowed her head, honey-colored hair falling into her eyes. No. She had to stop thinking about him . . . Had to let him go . . .  
  
/Flash/  
  
"Don't let anything happen to her. You're going to keep her safe? You swear to protect her with your life?"  
  
"To the best of my ability,"  
  
"Hmm . . . You have to promise me, too,"  
  
"I promise,"  
  
/Flash/  
  
Megan whimpered and wiped a tear away from beneath her glasses. Now she was gone . . . they were all gone . . . Father . . . Mother . . . Grandma . . .  
  
"It's all His fault . . ." Megan sobbed, sniffing. "I hope he dies . . ."  
  
Lost in her misery, the deactivated Summoner didn't notice the large, coffee-colored rat sitting beneath the table and watching her with its bulging, black-button eyes. If she'd been even more observant (or less, in this case) she would have noticed the strange belt wrapped around its middle. The rat's whiskers twitched.  
  
/Such a pretty little girl . . . Ah well . . . Too bad . . ./  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The door opened with a creak. Light flooded into the darkness. Mikoto squinted her eyes and frowned.  
  
". . . Ummei . . .?"  
  
There he was, a faint grin upon his face. He was definitely proud of something. Even the obvious whip-cut across his sleeve wasn't deterring him in the least.  
  
"Don't you look . . . buoyant . . . today . . ." the purple-eyed woman muttered. Ummei smiled toothily.  
  
"Thanks! I'm AM a boy!"  
  
Mikoto smacked a hand to her face, sighing. The chains clacked and shivered as she moved.  
  
". . . So . . .?" the purple-eyed woman raised a delicate eyebrow. Ummei plopped down on the floor with a smirk.  
  
"They're gone,"  
  
"They're dead?!"  
  
Ummei rolled his brilliant green eyes. "No, idiot! I mean they left Conde Petie! The Yorokobi's are safe!"  
  
Mikoto relaxed with a sigh of relief. Trusting Ummei with ANYTHING was always a nerve-wracking experience. "But you're hurt,"  
  
Ummei glanced down at the tear on his arm and shrugged. "Eh. Drakja wasn't too mad. He didn't seem to really care that I went missing, actually. He's REALLY happy about something . . ."  
  
That did NOT help the prisoner's nerves. Drakja's idea of a good thing was usually a very, very bad thing. The cloaked woman's lips creased apprehensively.  
  
"What is he . . . so happy about . . .?"  
  
Ummei shrugged. "Dunno,"  
  
"Can you . . . find out . . .?"  
  
"Nope,"  
  
"O . . . kay then,"  
  
Ummei sighed, collapsing onto his back and resting his arms beneath his head. "'sides, with Lulian gone they're gonna move the ship. Drakja's gonna be real edgy,"  
  
Mikoto sat up instantly. "They're moving the ship?! Where?!" /Hell . . . I don't even know where the ship is NOW . . ./  
  
Ummei yawned, tail twitching slightly. "They're movin' it near Alexandria for a short while . . . After that they're leaving the continent . . ."  
  
"Alexandria?" the purple-eyed woman stared at the geonome suspiciously. "Why?"  
  
"Dunno,"  
  
"Do you know anything?"  
  
"Nope,"  
  
The woman sighed. "That's what I get for allying myself with the omega in the wolf-pack . . ."  
  
Mikoto blinked. "The what now?"  
  
"The omega wolf," the woman smirked dryly. "Tell me you haven't noticed the wolf hierarchy system of the geonomes?"  
  
"Uh . . . no . . ."  
  
The woman nodded. "Yeah, see they automatically established themselves into a pack hierarchy. That's common among uneducated dolts like geonomes,"  
  
"Hey!" That was Ummei. And he wasn't even sure what a "dolt" was.  
  
"Anyways," she continued, noticing Mikoto's obvious interest in the topic. "If you've noticed, Drakja and Lulian are at the top - the alpha male and female. As a matter of fact, I once called Lulian that and she understood what I meant because she KNOWS that's the setup. Below that are some of the more powerful geonomes - "  
  
"Like Chikara and Dart . . ." Ummei grumbled.  
  
The woman shook her head. "I'm not so sure about Dart . . . Chikara, yes. He's definitely one of the betas. But Dart may be beneath that in the mid- class along with the majority of the geonomes. Or she may actually be at the bottom-most rank with the omega like you, Ummei. Typically there is only one omega in the pack, but in rare instances of sudden weak strains in the genes there can be more than one . . ."  
  
If Ummei had been in one of his "intelligent modes" he would have understood that the woman had just seriously offended him.  
  
"Anyways, Ummei. Why is Lulian gone?"  
  
Ummei shrugged once more, staring blankly at the maze of pipes along the ceiling.  
  
"Some mission . . ."  
  
". . . In Alexandria . . .?"  
  
"Yup,"  
  
The purple-eyed woman shivered. It couldn't be . . . No. That was impossible. Garland didn't know about her . . . She was safe. For now . . .  
  
But still, the thought nagged at the back of the woman's mind . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Beneath the dampened basement of Alexandria Castle, a torch was flared across the floor. The Alexandrian guard, who bore an expression of the utmost disgust, watched behind her visor as at least a dozen rats went scurrying and scampering out of the darkness and away from the flames. The guard's face contorted.  
  
"Filthy vermin . . . Get outta here!"  
  
There was much squeaking and scrambling as the rats escaped into the hidden cracks among the walls. The guard, deciding she'd flushed them all out, replaced the torch upon the wall and headed back towards the stairs.  
  
But one of the rats was watching the guard attentively. It's small nose twitched curiously - the strange belt around its waist glittering in the light of the flame - and then it began to change. Ears melted into graceful brown hair, black button eyes reverting to emerald green, bald tail sprouting into the mahogany appendage of a geonome as she grew to her full height. The rat's belt was now around her wrist. Once the woman became her normal height of 5'10" and she was satisfied that all her humanoid features were back, the geonome let out a sigh of glee.  
  
"Oh, Lulian, you've done it again . . ." she giggled, flashing a handful of bubble-gum pink nails. "You ARE a genius . . . Everything worked PERFECTLY!"  
  
Still snickering at her small victory, Lulian looped her way over to the nearest wall. She ran her fingers down its greasy, dank surface and nodded. Yes, this was the supporting wall of the basement. Funny how one simple slip of a brick could bring the whole bloomin' thing crashing down . . .  
  
"Now then . . . All I have to do is . . ." Lulian gently pressed a button on her wrist-band. There was a click and it unlocked and tumbled into her outstretched palm. Humming softly to herself, Lulian flattened out the small device into a rectangle and tacked it gently to the wall. She laughed, reveling in her glory.  
  
"This is so perfect . . . With the Summoner-brat out of the castle, all I have to do is take down everyone in here and she's free for the snagging . . . And if Kuja dies . . . Well Garland will surely be happy . . . Heh . . . I love myself . . ."  
  
But Lulian was, unfortunately, not as cautious as she'd thought. The guard halted in her footsteps, listening carefully to what the woman said. She gasped.  
  
"Oh my god . . . It's one of Them! Sh-she's gonna take out the whole castle! I-I gotta go get the queen!"  
  
Lulian, not hearing the guard's rambling, proceeded to click combinations on the device's minute keypad.  
  
"Now let's see . . . Mmm . . . I . . . and a size six . . . Seven, maybe? No, too strong. And set this here for about ten . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Garnet grunted as Steiner lowered her into the chair beneath the bedroom window.  
  
"Careful, Steiner . . ." she muttered. "My head's killing me . . ."  
  
"I'm sorry, your majesty," Steiner apologized truthfully. "Will you be okay?"  
  
Garnet nodded, rubbing her temples irritably as the soft rays of light filtered in through the window. "I'll be fine. Just kinda dizzy . . ."  
  
Steiner, as was typical, looked extremely concerned. "M-maybe we should see Doctor Tot . . . I mean, one of Them did enter you . . ."  
  
Garnet's eyes narrowed, annoyed. "Steiner, I - "  
  
"Your majesty!" came a desperate voice from outside.  
  
"Eh?"  
  
The door was thrown open as a guard tumbled into a heap upon the floor. "Queen Garnet . . . I'm so sorry to . . . to intrude . . ."  
  
Steiner stepped over to the guard, frowning and reaching for his sword. "What seems to be the problem?"  
  
The guard, catching her breath, rose shakily to her feet. "I have to report . . . one of the green-eyed people is in the basement . . . she's gonna take out the whole castle!"  
  
Garnet sat up immediately, sobering at lightning fast speed. "A geonome?!"  
  
The guard nodded hurriedly. "Yes! She was a rat, and then she was a person!"  
  
Garnet was on her feet in a matter of seconds. "All the geonomes can shape- shift, but I suspect it's Lulian. If Garland has sent her - one of the top- ranking geonomes - to the castle then she must be doing something really bad!"  
  
Steiner nodded to the guard. "Thank you. You may go. I'll get Zidane; we'll take care of it,"  
  
Garnet's eyes narrowed. "What about me?"  
  
"Your majesty, you must rest," Steiner said lightly, unsheathing his sword. Garnet smirked.  
  
"Steiner, I order you to let me go,"  
  
"Wh - ?! Oh for crying out . . ."  
  
Garnet grinned, fetching her spare racket from behind the chair. "Yes! Let's go get the others!"  
  
She rushed out the door and charged eagerly down the hall. It had been so long since she'd properly fought . . .  
  
"Zidane! Zidane, where are you?!"  
  
"Hmm?" a dirty-blonde head peeked out from one of the nearby doors on the right. Garnet skidded to a halt, clutching her racket tightly in her fists.  
  
"Zidane, there's a geonome in the basement! C'mon!"  
  
"What?!" Zidane's crystal eyes widened. He craned his neck back into his own room and shouted.  
  
"Kuja, didja here that?!"  
  
Kuja appeared beside him in the doorway, frowning. "A geonome? In the basement?"  
  
Garnet, forcing back a scowl and a couple well-chosen and incredibly rude words, nodded.  
  
"That's right. We have to get the others,"  
  
Zidane opened his mouth to speak when he was abruptly cut off from a voice down the hall.  
  
"No need! We hear from guard!"  
  
It was Quina, and the rest of the crew - Eiko, Lani, Amarant, Beatrix, Vivi, Freya, and Fratley - was trailing behind him. Steiner blinked.  
  
"Wow, that was easy . . ."  
  
Garnet was beside herself. "Alright! Let's get going!"  
  
Wasting no time, the mismatched group raced towards their destination.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Lulian grinned, finally finishing the code. "Perfect! Yes! Now I just have to change and - "  
  
"Not so fast, geonome!"  
  
Lulian whipped around, violet dress flying, and gasped in horror. It was them. All of those meddlesome fools. And they looked furious.  
  
"Ah!" Desperately the woman pulled back to transform. If she could just turn into a fly or something she'd be home free . . .  
  
"No! Stop her!" Eiko shouted as the group flooded into the chamber. Kuja was beside himself with rage.  
  
"Lulian!" he shouted angrily. In his fury he decided to let the expletives fly. "I've had it with your shit! You're through! FLARE STAR!!!"  
  
Vivi summed it up in one simple word: "eep."  
  
Flames of energy began to circle around Kuja's body as his hair began to whip angrily around his face. The sorcerer drew his arms in, bringing forth as much power from his weakened magic-reserves as he could find. The room darkened and the torches went out as Lulian shrieked.  
  
Flames burst before her, singing her dress and tearing open her leg. Blood spilled onto the floor as she screamed, falling backwards with a sob. Zidane gasped.  
  
"He did it! Even though his magic was supposed to be gone!"  
  
With a poof, the torches relit to reveal Lulian crouched upon the floor, rubbing her leg and snarling furiously.  
  
"You - ! You'll pay for this, you son of a - !"  
  
Kuja's eyes narrowed dangerously. He spoke softly, and with as much courtesy as he could muster on his hated enemy. "Leave . . . now . . ."  
  
Lulian twitched, growling. But she couldn't fight and Kuja had spared her life. Lulian rose painfully to her feet, stumbling backwards.  
  
"I'll get your damn Summoner-whore yet!" she sobbed, shaking with rage. "You'll see! And when the Metsubo comes, you'll be EXTRA sorry!" her gaze smashed onto Kuja with as much hate as a toxic venom "Particularly you, you sorry fucking excuse for Saishoja!" and then, in a very un-Lulian-like manner, she spat on the floor and vanished with a swish.  
  
It took several moments for what Lulian said to sink in.  
  
"A-a Summoner?" Vivi whispered, straightening his hat. Kuja was rooted to the spot.  
  
"Is that . . . is that what they're after?! Megan?!"  
  
"Well I'll be damned . . ." Amarant muttered.  
  
"Shit! Where is she?!" Zidane shouted, twirling around. "She's in trouble!" he started to go when a hand reached out and grabbed his collar.  
  
"Kuja what the - "  
  
"Shh!" Kuja yanked Zidane around, pressing a finger to his lips. The others watched curiously, a look of the utmost confusion upon their faces. "Do you hear that?"  
  
Zidane wrenched himself from Kuja's grasp. "Hear what?!"  
  
"That ticking sound . . ." Kuja murmured, brow furrowing in concentration as he listened. The others were now straining their ears to hear as well.  
  
"I don't hear anything . . ." Lani hissed. Beatrix shook her head.  
  
"Nor do I . . ."  
  
"It's too soft," Kuja explained. "Only a genome's senses could pick it up . . . Do you hear it, Zidane?"  
  
Zidane's eyes were widening by the minute. "Y-yeah! That faint ticking, like a clock . . ."  
  
Kuja's face was growing worried. "Not like a clock . . ."  
  
He and Zidane exchanged nervous glances before they turned and ran into the chamber, searching frantically for the source of the noise. The others followed, hoping the genome's weren't thinking what they thought they were thinking.  
  
"It's gotta be around here somewhere!" Zidane grumbled, feeling along the walls. "Where the hell is - Ah! Kuja, Kuja, Kuja! Over here!"  
  
The sorcerer was at his brother's side in seconds. There it was, a small, black, mechanical-box tacked to one of the wall's bricks.  
  
"It's a bomb!" Zidane cried. Eiko screamed.  
  
"Turn it off!" Beatrix shouted, shoving Fratley slightly and running to the wall.  
  
"I would if I COULD!" Zidane snapped bitterly to the general. Kuja hesitated.  
  
"There's only a minute left . . ."  
  
"This is a supporting wall!" Freya whimpered. "If it gets blown out then the castle will . . ."  
  
"Don't you think I know that?!" Kuja shouted. Freya jumped slightly in surprise. They'd all been noticing it lately: Kuja was becoming more like his old-self since Megan started hating him. Zidane thought vaguely that Tot's plan to keep the people in Kuja restrained was working as long as he became his bitter, pompous old self once more.  
  
"Now then," Kuja said softly, placing his hands on the wall and leaning forward. "How do I deactivate it . . .?"  
  
/Flash/  
  
"Please, sir . . . Please save us . . ."  
  
"Heh. He can't help us . . . Look at his EYES!"  
  
The silver-haired man smiled kindly, brushing into the crowd. "No problem. Bombs are a specialty of Shi . . . I'll just punch in the reciprocal code, which in this case would be . . ."  
  
/Flash/  
  
"Twelve . . . Five . . . Nine . . . Ten . . . Seven . . . Six . . . I,"  
  
Kuja's eyes opened slowly in surprise. How had he - ?  
  
"You did it!" Lani gasped. "Jesus, you freakin' did it! You're a genius!"  
  
Kuja blinked, staring at the zeros flashing across the box.  
  
"Whoa . . ."  
  
There was a moment of awed silence.  
  
"Moron!" Zidane growled. "We don't have time to roll over your handiwork! We've got to find Megan!"  
  
Kuja nodded, still scratching his head. "R-right . . .!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: Megan's in trouble, nya, nya, nya, nya, nya, nya! Hee! And I've got some WONDERFUL NEWS!!! THIS IS THE LAST CHAPTER WHERE THE ENTIRE THING TAKES PLACE IN ALEXANDRIA!!! That's right; next chapter the crew's snaggin' an airship and high-tailing it out of that Dullsville. Thank god, eh? Finally the plot progresses . . . And I'm really excited 'cause every scene that happens after the crew leaves Alexandria up until the end of the story is TOTALLY AWESOME!!! Them leaving marks the half-way point of the tale. Who wants a progress report? In the original scene-summary script I wrote, this story has approximately two-hundred-and-fifty scenes (give or take five, 'cause a few things change here and there). Right now, the end of this chapter was scene #119. Amazing, huh? Y'all have read a hundred and nineteen scenes . . . My goal is to get through scene #136 by next February, but I'm not sure if it will be sooner or later. We'll just have to see, ne? Oh, and I have a manga report! I finally got the Kuja I wanted and Beatrix is almost done! Yay! And Dart is finished. I'm working on Ummei, but he's REALLY hard . . .  
  
REEAAADDDD ANNDDD REEVVVIIIIEEEEEWWWWWW!!!!!!! 


	27. The Kidnapping

A/N: Yay, this chapter is full of conflict and angst! Whoo hoo! Let's here it for character torture! *Ahem* Anyways . . . This chapter's kinda sad. BUT IT'S THE LAST CHAPTER IN ALEXANDRIA!!! *Cheers* Now we get to go . . . elsewhere. Wanna know where? READ!!!  
  
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy not be my property . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Yeah, yeah.  
  
Backward words, he got 'em.  
  
Shut up, I'm talking.  
  
This time, you'll listen.  
  
But when I look at you you're forgiven."  
  
"End of, stop sulking.  
  
Get out, you're walkin.'  
  
Too bad, I've spoken.  
  
But when I look at you you're forgiven."  
  
"Your lies, don't want 'em.  
  
Drop dead, not joking.  
  
This thing is broken.  
  
But when I look at you you're forgiven.  
  
You're forgiven."  
  
"I know my ex-boyfriend lies.  
  
Oh, he does it every time.  
  
It's just his permanent disguise.  
  
Yeah, yeah but he's drop dead gorgeous."  
  
"Don't go changing every time.  
  
Not for me to compromise.  
  
You're still a friend of mine.  
  
Yeah, yeah and you're drop dead gorgeous."  
  
- Drop Dead Gorgeous, Republica  
  
His shoulders were slumped in obvious defeat; his harsh, aged features sharp with anger. One hand was clenched in a fist upon the throne; the other was holding open a thick manila folder.  
  
How had it come to this, he wondered. How had it gotten to the point that he could no longer keep his own creation from breaking his master's powers?  
  
Garland shook his head silently in the darkness of the throne-room. There was only one possible answer to this question:  
  
Saishoja.  
  
Saishoja was coming alive in his faulty creation - Kuja. More and more he saw it. Since his return, Garland had blocked Kuja's powers to allow his corrupters to grow stronger. But when Kuja died that morning - which Garland would not deny had happened - he'd returned Kuja's magic and spared his life.  
  
Of course, Garland had intended to block Kuja's magic once more. And he did. And yet something had happened that even the wizened old Terran could not explain:  
  
Kuja had used not only magic, but POWERFUL magic. A Flare Star. Enough to put his alpha-female geonome temporarily out of commission. But how?  
  
That was the question that nagged like a constant itch at the back of Garland's mind. He HAD to know . . . He had to know what instincts of Saishoja drove Kuja on. This instance was obvious - the sight of Lulian had caused Saishoja's hatred for Drakja to be reborn. But other things didn't make sense. Like the pass-code. How did Kuja understand the reciprocal code? Was Saishoja's will really that powerful?  
  
Garland frowned thoughtfully. "I wonder . . ." Gently he allowed the manila folder to flip open upon his lap. The reports from Pre-Terra were faded but still legible to Garland after all the years. Reports on city progress, reports on the war, reports on the Great Terran Warriors . . .  
  
Of course, there it was in large bold letters: Shi specialization . . . bombs. So it was only natural that Saishoja - the general of the Shin army - would understand pass-codes. It seemed Kuja was turning more and more into Saishoja every day . . .  
  
However . . .  
  
Garland's face blanked over in confusion. In the process of replicating the Great Terran Warriors, Garland had made a few minor . . . corrections . . . in the specimens. For example, the original Drakja had had poor hearing. Not hearing impaired, just a little less than Garland's opinion of a good warrior. So in the process of making the new Drakja and the geonomes, he'd given them all spectacular hearing despite the fact that that made them somewhat different from the original.  
  
Well Saishoja had had a MAJOR flaw in his life . . . A terrible curse he was born with . . . A curse that separated him from his family and isolated him as an outcast of society until he moved up the military ranks. Garland had immediately removed that particular flaw from Kuja (and improved it, of course). Now Garland was starting to wonder . . .  
  
What if?  
  
What if it was Saishoja's will that was making those People in Kuja so much stronger? What if Garland . . . "tampered" a little. If he made Them stronger he would be able to keep Kuja at bay until the plan was complete. In affect, Garland could use Kuja's own heritage against him.  
  
It was delectably perfect . . .  
  
Garland grinned, folding the manila folder closed once more.  
  
"Oh, Kuja . . . If you don't hate me now, you're about to . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Zidane peered curiously around the side of the restaurant, clutching the brick and scanning his eyes across the melting pot of faces.  
  
"Where is that darn woman . . .?" he grumbled, searching for at least the reflection of a pair of glasses. "Kuja, do you see her?"  
  
Zidane moved to the side as his elder brother peeked around the wall. Kuja would recognize Megan from a hundred miles away. His eyesight was spectacular . . . Garnet tapped Zidane on the shoulder.  
  
"Anything?"  
  
Zidane shook his head, golden locks slapping the sides of his face. "We're looking. You and the others should go back. Leave this to us . . ."  
  
Garnet looked ready to protest. Beatrix looked even MORE ready to protest.  
  
"Zidane," the general hissed. "Don't you think you should explain this to her? I mean, she might need to be isolated permanently in the castle until this situation is dealt with . . ."  
  
". . . So . . .?"  
  
Beatrix cleared her throat. "Let me rephrase that. She might need to be isolated permanently in the castle WITH KUJA,"  
  
". . . Oh . . ."  
  
". . . Yeah . . ."  
  
Zidane glanced nervously at his brother. Isolated in the castle with Kuja? Boy did he smell a cat-fight coming on . . .  
  
"Ah! There she is!" Kuja suddenly exclaimed, pointing at a table hidden behind a fat Treno noble. Zidane squinted to see the speck of a girl. Kuja really did have amazing eyesight . . .  
  
"Kuja . . . Don't kill me, but . . ."  
  
"No,"  
  
Zidane glared angrily at his brother. "You don't even know what I was going to say!"  
  
Kuja's tail flicked the ground angrily. "Yes I do! You want ME to talk to her! No,"  
  
". . . Kuja . . .!"  
  
"Quit whining!"  
  
Beatrix smiled meekly. "We'll just be going now . . . After all, you guys can take care of this . . ."  
  
The rest of the crew (minus Amarant, of course) grinned as well. "Of course you can . . ."  
  
Zidane sweatdropped angrily. "Guys!"  
  
"Quit whining!" Kuja repeated. Zidane glared at him. In some ways it was kind of a letdown that Kuja was turning back into his old self . . . Zidane had kind of liked the new, simple, friendly, kind-hearted, thoughtful, quiet, un-argumentative Kuja. The Kuja that was the exact opposite of the brother he'd known . . .  
  
The crew began to go, much to Zidane's dismay. But before they were out of sight, Beatrix shouted over her shoulder:  
  
"And bring Kuja back to the castle when you're done! You know he's not supposed to be outside!"  
  
Zidane blinked, and turned his face curiously to his brother. "Hey, yeah! How'd you wind up out here?"  
  
Kuja shrugged. "What do you care . . .?"  
  
Now the blonde genome was pissed. Sure, he could handle Kuja getting moody and brooding again . . . But he couldn't handle his brother being snappish.  
  
"Maybe /I/ should talk to Megan . . ." Zidane muttered, blue eyes piercing into his elder's. Kuja snorted.  
  
"Feh. I'll go talk to the witch . . . You get out of here!"  
  
Zidane felt the straws piling . . . So let his stupid brother deal with her! Who cared if Kuja got himself slapped?! They'd probably just kill each other anyways!  
  
"Fine then!" Zidane snarled. "Go! Talk to her!"  
  
"I will!"  
  
And with that, Kuja turned on his heel and stormed into the cluster of tables. Zidane feinted back and pretended to leave. But at the last second he whirled around and lodged himself beside the wall. Snappish or not, it was still his brother . . . He'd just referee a little . . . Then he remembered:  
  
"Kuja! Hood!" the blonde hissed, hoping the first Angel of the Death was still within hearing distance. Kuja glared over her shoulder, muttered something obviously rude, and pulled the hood of his cloak up over his lustrous silver hair and allowed the shadows to obscure his face. Relieved, Zidane pulled back to watch.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Megan sighed softly, cradling a cup of tea within her hands. She knew she should get going . . . But her legs weren't working properly. What was there to go to? She was all alone . . . No one cared. As far as she was concerned, her life was over. Megan chuckled ironically to herself.  
  
"Maybe I can join Amy in the inn business . . . I'm not going back to Katei. There's nothing for me there . . ."  
  
In her misery, the Summoner didn't hear the sound of delicate footsteps beside her. But when she heard the scrape of a chair against pavement she raised her mahogany eyes to see a white-cloaked man pulling up a seat across from her.  
  
"Who - ?"  
  
"Megan, you have to go back to the castle . . ."  
  
Megan blanched, recognizing the smooth, deep voice. ". . . Kuja . . .?" /Holy shit. I almost said 'Feather . . .'/ she realized in horror.  
  
Kuja lifted his chin somewhat to reveal his pale, flawless face beneath the hood. He looked rather bored and annoyed at the same time. Megan had been noticing that lately (as she had been back in Katei). Kuja was growing colder and more like the stereotype he really was.  
  
/How did he fool me for all those years . . .?/ Megan wondered. /Why couldn't I see him for what he really was? A filthy, rotten villain!/ Megan didn't understand that it was her own icy nature that had returned Kuja to his old embittered self.  
  
"Did you hear me?" Kuja snarled. "I said you have to go back to the castle!"  
  
"Don't tell me what to do!" Megan shouted, slamming the cup of tea onto the table with a clink. "Why the hell should I go to the castle?! I'm going HOME!"  
  
"Well too bad!" Kuja growled. "Apparently my master's after you, so you're just going to have to be stuck in the castle with me until this is all over!"  
  
Megan snorted. "Not on your life! Just sitting across from you sends shivers of DISGUST down my spine!"  
  
Kuja's eyes, for the briefest of seconds, flashed red. Megan twitched. Those eyes were scary . . . So much power hidden in such a frail person . . . She knew if she wanted to survive until she could catch an airship out of Alexandria she would have to stay away from him. He WAS a dangerous criminal, after all . . .  
  
"Fine then," Kuja breathed, his voice rising slightly with restrained anger. "I won't force you. But if I don't, one of the others will . . . So you might as well just come now,"  
  
". . . Bite me . . ."  
  
Kuja's eyes flickered once more and he rose from his seat; kicking his cloak off his legs in frustration. "Have it your way, then . . . I'm going back to my isolation . . . Have a nice life,"  
  
Megan watched him go, and for the faintest of seconds felt a twinge of regret. Had he - albeit indirectly - been making a peace-offering?  
  
The expression on Kuja's face as he returned to the side of the wall was one of a bristling lion. When he saw Zidane, his expression grew even harder.  
  
"What are you doing here? I thought I told you to go!"  
  
Zidane frowned. "I wanted to make sure you didn't screw up . . . which you did,"  
  
"She'll come eventually . . ." Kuja grumbled. "She knows she has to,"  
  
Zidane wasn't so sure, but knew for his own sake that he should shut up and let Kuja return to the castle without her. Maybe the silver-haired warlock was right: she'd come eventually . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Megan huffed furiously, brushing the wispy bangs from her eyes. The nerve of that man! How dare he try and force her into the castle! She was leaving, thank you very much. No one could make her do anything . . . especially not HIM!  
  
Megan folded her arms across her chest stubbornly and felt her fingers brush something hard. Glancing down she spotted that old necklace around her neck; the one shaped like a horse rearing up; its mane whipping wildly in a phantom wind. Megan lifted it curiously between her fingers, frowning.  
  
She'd bought it with Kuja's money . . . He'd lent it to her and then told her what good taste she had. And he wouldn't let her pay him back, either. How could he have gone from such a sweetie to such a . . . such an asshole!  
  
/He didn't really . . ./ Megan mused, feeling the inner turmoil raging within her. /Only your perspective of him changed . . ./  
  
"Hmm . . ." Megan held the minute horse up to the light, noticing how its polygonal sides threw small little rainbow patterns upon the table.  
  
"That's a very pretty necklace . . ." a soft voice whispered in her ear. Megan stiffened, insides freezing as if the voice's breath were as cold as ice.  
  
"Wha - ?!"  
  
She was cut off by a hand clamping down over her mouth. Megan let out a muffled shriek and knocked her chair back as she tumbled from her seat. The entire restaurant was on its feet in seconds and Megan could faintly hear someone shouting for the guards.  
  
A fist punched her violently across the face, the other hand still covering her mouth. Megan looked up in horror to see a pair of glowing green eyes . . . But not just any pair of green eyes; they were clearly insane and flashing with never-ending depths of madness.  
  
Drakja . . .  
  
"Well, well . . ." the geonome whispered, pale lips twisting into a grin. "Seems I've caught myself a little Summoner . . . Get up!"  
  
He removed his hand from her mouth and yanked Megan viciously to her feet. She cried out in pain, feeling her arms twisting, and felt him pull her towards him. Guards were surrounding the area, swords ready and preparing magic in their hands. No one moved.  
  
Now it was just her and Drakja . . .  
  
The alpha-male geonome was laughing hysterically, wrapping an arm around Megan's waist. In the other hand he held that mysterious red gun pointed out at the surrounding soldiers. His finger was ready on the trigger, and there was no doubt that he would pull it . . .  
  
"Fools!" Drakja shouted, cackling. "I'd have thought you'd have learned by now! Geonomes can TELEPORT!"  
  
And with that, he and Megan were gone, leaving nothing but the stunned and horrified faces of the onlookers . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Sir Zidane! Sir Zidane, I bare terrible news!"  
  
The guard collapsed before the confused genome's feet just as he was crossing the threshold into Alexandria Castle. Kuja, beside his brother, immediately stiffened at the urgency in the guard's voice. It was not usual for Beatrix's rigidly trained female soldiers to lose their cool. Whatever had happened was something extremely bad . . .  
  
"What is it?" Zidane queried nervously, staring down at the back of the woman's reflective, polished helmet. She was shivering.  
  
"A geonome appeared in the city's busiest square, sir!" she gasped, blue eyes turning fearfully onto her future king's. Zidane knew immediately from her expression that it was more than that . . . Something much worse than a simple appearance had occurred . . . He opened his mouth to speak when Kuja cut him off, inquiring sharply.  
  
"What did the geonome look like?"  
  
Zidane thought it a strange question - as all the geonomes basically looked the same - but when the guard responded he realized why Kuja had asked it.  
  
"Uh . . . He was really tall - though I guess they all are - and he had very long hair tied back with a leather cord . . . Oh, and there was a badge on his shirt!" the guard exclaimed suddenly. "It looked like an upside-down fork . . ."  
  
Kuja's eyes were shivering fearfully. ". . . Drakja . . . Garland sent his top geonome into the busiest square . . . Zidane, maybe we should - "  
  
"It's too late!" the guard sobbed, tapping the tip of her helmet to the ground once more, pleading for forgiveness. "He captured a young maiden! A pretty child with short brown hair and a pair of glasses . . ."  
  
Zidane and Kuja froze. It felt as if a breath of cold air had passed through the entrance-hall, drenching the walls and windows in glittering icicles. Kuja could scarcely breathe, as his insides were caked with ice. He brought a fist to his chest, clenching it there as if trying to keep himself from throwing a punch at the guard.  
  
/They got her . . . Is it . . . my fault . . .?/  
  
"Oh . . . my . . . god . . ." Zidane whispered, eyes glazed over in disbelief. "No way is this happening . . ." /Garland's . . . winning . . .?!/  
  
The realization of this truth sent the genome reeling. Garland, the most feared and hated man on Gaia (besides Kuja himself, perhaps) not only had the upper-hand, but was clearly beating them . . . Evil was, for once, triumphing over good . . .  
  
How was that possible?  
  
Zidane turned desperately to Kuja as if seeking answers from his elder. But Kuja was gone. He was staring blankly into space, a thousand emotions flickering in those glassy eyes. For the briefest of moments Zidane wondered what Kuja was thinking about. Then the blonde whipped around and - leaving his brother behind - charged as fast as he could from the entrance-hall.  
  
He had to break the news to the others . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"WHAT?!?!?!"  
  
Zidane winced as a flurry of disbelieving stares fell upon him. The rest of the crew was standing in the dining room and, after hearing the news they'd been summoned there to hear, they suddenly exploded in horror.  
  
"Garland's kidnapped MEGAN?!" Lani cried, shaking her axe a little too close to Zidane's neck for his liking. The blonde nodded sadly.  
  
"Half the square saw it . . . He just snuck up on her like that . . ." Zidane snapped his fingers miserably. Beatrix slumped down into one of the chairs, shaking her head as if she thought her ears were deceiving her.  
  
"How can Garland possibly be defeating us . . .?" she queried softly.  
  
"What?" Vivi twitched at the sudden - and terrifying - comment. "H-how is Garland winning . . .?"  
  
Beatrix smiled sadly, fiddling with the strap on her belt. "Because a Summoner was what he wanted . . . And a Summoner was what he got . . ."  
  
"But we don't even know what he wanted her FOR!" Eiko cried shrilly, determined to prove the general wrong. Beatrix shrugged.  
  
"What does it matter? We've proven our weakness . . ." she sighed, her one good eyes glimpsing Kuja for a second. He was standing apart from the group, leaning against the wall with his arms folded across his chest. He seemed lost in thought. Beatrix then said the one thing that none of the others had had the heart - or the nerve - to say. Something that had been lingering beneath the surface and haunting their thoughts, though none of the crew would admit it.  
  
"It's not going to be as easy as last time . . ."  
  
An eerie silence descended upon the chamber. It was true. Garland wouldn't simply have a "change of heart" like Kuja or do something stupid like blow himself off a tower. Not only that, but this time Garland was more determined. Whatever his plan was, it was driving him to do terrible, terrible things. Though Mikoto claimed violence had failed Garland in the past, now it was his only chance. A chance he was willing to - and was - taking. No one dared to make eye-contact. Garnet, who had remained relatively silent the entire time, now stole a glance at Kuja as well. What was he thinking about? After all, he hated Megan . . . What was bothering him so much? Garnet mentally snorted. What a jerk . . .  
  
But no one could even begin to fathom what was going through Kuja's mind. He had a terrible secret, one he would take with him to his grave. The night before, he'd had that dream again . . .  
  
/Flash/  
  
The dungeon . . . the Iifa Tree . . . the only escape . . . flames creeping from the entrance to smite the decaying plant . . . A decision he couldn't understand . . . the walls cut open into glittering cages . . . hundreds of flickering genomes . . . a temple . . . a burning in the back of his eyes as everything became uncomprehensible agony . . . Wispy figures pulled back from him as he collapsed beside his unconscious brother, pleading not to let them go . . . And in the background, Megan shaking the bars - blood pouring from her face - as she accuses him of abandonment and her mysterious incapability . . .  
  
The first time Kuja had had that particular dream, the purple-eyed woman had sent it to him. But Garland would have seen to it that she was silenced. Rather, Kuja's own mind had pulled the nightmare to the surface . . . And this time it had been a warning he'd ignored . . .  
  
/It's all my fault . . ./  
  
Beatrix was watching him closely. Maybe she should see if he was okay?  
  
"General Beatrix, Queen Garnet, we have an urgent report!"  
  
Several guards (and a bumbling Pluto Knight) rushed one after the other into the room. Beatrix glanced at them mildly, but Garnet was immediately on her feet.  
  
"What is it?!"  
  
Beatrix nodded to the captain, a stern-looking red-head, to continue. The soldier cleared her throat and pulled out a fairly small scroll, which she then unrolled. She read from it slowly, as if afraid the group wouldn't believe her.  
  
"Several spies have been watching the Invincible counterpart - the Indomitable - on the Outer Continent. For the past several days it remained fairly stationary near Conde Petie. We soon lost sight of it, only to discover it had taken an indirect route to Alexandria. This morning the ship was spotted once more, however, by one of our soldiers working in the reconstruction of Esto Gaza, who then reported to us. The Indomitable was last seen flying past Esto Gaza. It landed somewhere in the tundra, but sight of it has since been lost in the blizzards . . ." She faded out and looked up slowly at the crew. They still seemed to be absorbing this information.  
  
Fratley's eyes were quickly widening beneath the brim of his hat. "Garland's on the Forgotten Continent . . .?"  
  
"That must be where they took Megan!" Zidane gasped, turning to Beatrix. She nodded thoughtfully.  
  
"Perhaps we should . . .?"  
  
She fell silent as the crew glanced nervously at each other. It was so obvious what they had to do. The trick was doing it . . . Beatrix cleared her throat and said as loudly and obnoxiously as she could:  
  
"What do you think, Kuja?!"  
  
The warlock jumped slightly and turned to face the awaiting eyes of his reluctant comrades. Beatrix was waiting patiently. "Well . . .?"  
  
"Uh . . ." Kuja, who was never at a loss for words, was struck dumb. From what little of the conversation he'd heard, it sounded like the group wanted to go to the Forgotten Continent . . . "You mean, travel like you guys did before?" Kuja could vaguely remember how the unstoppable team had journeyed together, traveling the lands, armed and dangerous, to defeat him. But how could they possibly do that again? One of their group was the queen of Alexandria, the other engaged to her. On top of that, Vivi had children to think about, and Eiko was under the watchful eye of her adopted parents. To top it all off, four new people had been added to the team. Four, that is if . . .  
  
"Could I go?"  
  
Even Beatrix had not been expecting that question. She blinked in surprise for a moment, and then her face darkened sympathetically.  
  
"Oh, Kuja . . . You know you can't . . ."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"B-because you agreed . . . You're not to leave the castle until - "  
  
Zidane stomped his foot on the ground repeatedly to get their attention. When all eyes were on him he spoke. "I'm going to go ask Doctor Tot what he thinks of this whole thing. If anyone will have advice, it's him. I'll be back in twenty minutes. No one move!"  
  
Giving Garnet a quick kiss on the cheek, he left the room with a flick of his golden tail.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"DOCTOR TO - OT!!!!"  
  
"Eh?" the scholar looked up slowly at the insistent banging upon his door. He recognized the rude, insensitive voice immediately. So Zidane had come at last . . .  
  
Moving slowly - as his old bones were getting brittle - Tot leapt from his desk-chair and went to open the door. It creaked open irritably to reveal a very agitated and rushed looking Zidane. Tot gave him a beaky grin.  
  
"I was wondering when you'd show up . . ."  
  
Zidane scowled impatiently. "Tot, the group and I . . . We're thinking of tailing Garland on the Forgotten Continent and - " " - Kuja wants to go," Tot nodded, signalling for Zidane to come in. "Yes . . . Tricky, isn't it? Kuja feels it's his obligation to rescue Megan, and - "  
  
"Oh . . . You heard about that?" Zidane queried softly. Tot smirked.  
  
"It's all over town . . . Anyways, should you let Kuja go or not? That's what you want to know, isn't it?" Zidane nodded, wondering how the scholar could always read his mind. Tot tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Well first I have to ask some questions,"  
  
Zidane folded his arms across his chest. "Yeah? Like what?"  
  
"Well . . . First off, how much like his old self is Kuja?"  
  
Zidane raised his eyes to the ceiling, thinking. Then he sighed. "Too much. He's so rude and brooding now . . . It really sucks . . ."  
  
Tot laughed. "Yes, I heard you and him bickering a few days ago. It sounded like he was going to pull a Thundaga on your head any minute . . . Well I'd say that's enough. I think Kuja is strong enough to hold Them in for now. Besides, with Megan as his motivation I don't see how he could lose . . ."  
  
Zidane snorted derisively. "They hate each other . . ."  
  
Tot's eyes were twinkling bemusedly behind their spectacles. "When will you children learn . . .?"  
  
Zidane did not stay to ponder any longer. The others were waiting for him. He bid Tot a hastened goodbye (which was returned by a cheery "good luck") and ran from the room.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
His comrades were waiting anxiously when he returned.  
  
"Well?"  
  
Zidane smiled. "Kuja can come . . ."  
  
The crew stiffened immediately. How were they going to survive with the most hated man on Gaia? Kuja glanced pointedly at them and then smirked.  
  
/I'm gonna make your lives a living hell . . ./  
  
Vivi shifted his hat nervously. Stuck in the tundra with his creator . . . That was a new one. Beatrix bit her lip.  
  
"Then it is so . . . Garnet, send a message to Regent Cid and Lady Hilda. We're leaving tomorrow . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Within a few hours, Cid and Hilda were standing at the airship dock, having taken the Hilda Garde 3 as fast as they could to Alexandria. Hilda looked near tears when she saw the crew emerging into the hangars.  
  
"Oh, please don't get yourselves hurt!" she cried as the mismatched group neared. She ran and threw her arms around Eiko. "Don't you dare get into trouble!"  
  
Eiko patted her adopted mother awkwardly on the back. "Uh, Mom . . . Not in front of the others, okay?" Hilda blushed and pulled back apologetically.  
  
Cid smiled (albeit a restrained one) as Garnet hugged him gently around the neck. "You stay safe . . ." he whispered, trying not to tickle her with his moustache. Garnet pulled away, tears in her eyes.  
  
"I promise . . ."  
  
The others waited patiently as Garnet gave her last orders to Cid.  
  
". . . And the soldiers are to be kept on constant alert . . . Is that understood?"  
  
Cid nodded, patting her on the shoulder. "It'll be fine. Hilda and I can watch two cities at once . . ."  
  
Garnet bit her lip. ". . .Okay . . . Then I guess we're off . . ." she signaled for the others to follow and they slowly boarded onto the Hilda Garde 3, which was already loaded with the necessary supplies for the trip - blankets, medicine, weapons, etc. Vivi couldn't stop thinking about his children. Would they be safe?  
  
Hilda sobbed silently as they bid their last farewells. They were so young . . . And this was all so dangerous . . . She hadn't liked it then and she didn't like it now . . .  
  
". . . Good luck . . ."  
  
And as the door closed she spotted a flash of silver hair. Perhaps luck wasn't the only thing they'd need . . .  
  
"And please, god, learn to get along . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: Phew . . . My longest chapter yet! So, whaddya think? Will the crew get along? *Giggles* I'll never tell . . . Well technically I will. But not now ^_^ Poor Megan . . . They got her *sob* Oh well, that's one less character to deal with, I guess. *Sniffle* But from the next chapter on, every chapter is REALLY good. I've been waiting a long time for the crew to leave Alexandria . . . Now that that day has come . . . I don't know what to say . . . *Bursts into tears*  
  
Read, read, read, and review, review, review! 


	28. Extortion

A/N: Mm, sorry for the little wait. It's been a god-awful couple of weeks . . . Though . . . some reviews would make me feel better *hopeful eyes* Uh, just so you know, there's a new character who's going to be mentioned in this story, and she's actually a real friend of mine (Triss). Though she's not in this chapter, I want y'all to know she's actually a real person. And because I killed her in a previous chapter (under her real name: Crystal Tan) she and a friend of ours wrote a story in which they do nothing but torture me for nine chapters (it's EXTREMELY graphic). The story's under the Super Smash Brother's section of this site and it's called How to Kill a Certain Jamie (that's my real name). Kuja makes a quick cameo in chapter six or something if you want to check it out. To get back at me, Triss and Cho (the other friend) pitted my favorite characters against me (Kuja, Sesshoumaru, Nuriko, etc . . .) So check it out if you're in the mood to get graphic details of my internal organs. Oh, and they call me Scum in that story. Lovely . . .  
  
Disclaimer: If I owned Final Fantasy I wouldn't be writing fanfictions. I would be playing a hard-ass game of hot-fudge water polo instead . . . Heh.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Know me, broken by my master."  
  
- Would, Alice in Chains  
  
". . . Do you see that?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"That gleam. There, on the horizon. Kinda like a speck of sunlight . . ."  
  
The little mages all narrowed their glimmering amber eyes and exclaimed simultaneously with delight.  
  
"I see it! I see it!" Nichio-bi cried. "That sparkle! It's really cool!"  
  
"Awesome!"  
  
". . . What is it . . .?" Kayo-bi queried suddenly.  
  
All yellow eyes turned expectantly onto Mr. 41, who was grinning with satisfaction beneath his hood.  
  
"That, my boys, is the great sword of Alexandria Castle. Which means we're but a week away from getting there,"  
  
The children cheered.  
  
"We'll get to see Dad again!" Mokuyo-bi cried, clapping his gloved hands together.  
  
"I'm so excited!"  
  
Mr. 41 listened to the delighted murmuring with some regret. /I only wish we were visiting Alexandria under less grim circumstances . . ./  
  
He had been apprehensive for quite some time over the current matter at hand. How would Zidane take the news of his sister's disappearance? Would he want to run out immediately and save her? Or would he leave it to the authorities until it was too late? Which was worse?  
  
"Oh, Mikoto . . . Where could you be . . .?" Mr. 41 queried sadly.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Mikoto's eyes narrowed at first with suspicion when Ummei entered the boiler-room once more. He was hunched strangely and Mikoto suspected he'd been whipped. But immediately she saw that wasn't the case (for there was no blood) and she became wracked with concern.  
  
"Ummei, what's wrong?"  
  
The purple-eyed woman in the corner of the room looked worried as well. She could read anyone as well as she could read a book.  
  
Ummei's green eyes turned miserably onto the prisoners and he sat down painfully slow.  
  
". . . I'm leaving . . ." he said softly. Mikoto cocked her head.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I'm leaving. Something's come up and Garland's sending me out of the ship for awhile on a mission . . . I'm sorry . . ."  
  
The purple-eyed woman smiled sympathetically. "What's there to be sorry for? It's not your fault,"  
  
Ummei bit his lip, rubbing habitually at the sore spot on his shoulder where Drakja had whipped him for "allowing" the tyrant to make a fool of himself.  
  
"It's just . . . Garland wants me to do something else first . . ."  
  
". . . And what's that . . .?"  
  
As if in response to this question, the door was thrown open and two male geonomes stormed into the room, furred tails flicking.  
  
"You're comin' with us!" they snarled, grabbing the wine-eyed woman by her arms and hauling her violently to her feet. She shrieked and protested, but one of the geonomes smacked her and she shut up immediately.  
  
Mikoto pulled furiously on her shackles, crying out as she attempted to throw herself at the geonomes that shoved the other prisoner to the floor and began to drag her out the door by her hair.  
  
"Ummei, stop them!" Mikoto sobbed, turning angrily to the omega. But she noticed, then, that he was shaking violently. Something was happening . . . Mikoto's sapphire eyes narrowed.  
  
"Ummei, what's going on . . .?"  
  
The geonome clutched himself, shaking uncontrollably. "Mikoto, I - "  
  
They both froze. Drakja was standing in the doorway, cloaked in threatening shadows. His eyes were blazing for the kill.  
  
"Ummei . . . It's time . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"I don't know how you can stand it, man . . ." Eiko moaned, glaring daggers at the sorcerer perched beside her. "Are you the only one not shivering here?!"  
  
Kuja shrugged, gazing away from Eiko as if the little Summoner was not worthy of his presence. She smacked at the rock he sat upon and growled.  
  
"It's so cold! I'm dying here!"  
  
The others, who were seated around a small fire in the frozen tundra looked equally as miserable. Zidane, however, was somewhat more energetic. This only led the group to believe it was another one of those "genome-things."  
  
The airship ride to the Forgotten Continent had taken only twelve hours (which was pretty good by airship standards). The crew made sure the Hildagarde 3 flew past Esto Gaza where the Indomitable was rumored to have landed and then proceeded to hide it strategically in the tundra where it would be camouflaged by the snow. From there, the mismatched team grabbed all their weapons and supplies and began to journey the frozen mass of land in search of Garland's airship.  
  
The location they sat, huddled and freezing in had no mountains, hills, trees, or bodies of water to speak of. There was only miles and miles of barren, white snow until the empty whiteness hit the transparent horizon. The wind blew mercilessly in the emptiness, scorching their skin and forcing the group to stop and build camp within a matter of hours.  
  
On the short journey, however, the crew had been rather disturbed to find many familiar foot-impressions and trails in the snow.  
  
Mist monsters . . . The continent was teeming with them. They had been attacked several times and now, seated vulnerably on the plain, Fratley and Beatrix were stationed somewhere out in the tundra on guard and killing Mist monsters when necessary. There was no possible explanation for how the creatures could possibly be alive. The Iifa Tree was dead and producing no Mist. Any remaining monsters had been killed by Kuja and Zidane themselves years back. And yet Mist had been reappearing all over Gaia almost as bad as before. It was obvious that after finding Garland's ship all this would merit a trip to the Iifa Tree to see what the heck was going on.  
  
"So grab a blanket or something," Kuja snarled, refusing to meet Eiko's accusing eyes. She huffed, hugging herself tightly and rocking back and forth as another frigid wind brushed over her skin.  
  
"I wish we could spare more," Garnet said off-handedly, sighing. "But we have to be light with our loads and we only have enough blankets to cover each of us and a few more . . ."  
  
The gloom over the group was becoming stifling. Already they were having dark thoughts of death and cold. Zidane smiled, trying to seem cheerful.  
  
"Well, we can always hope a monster will attack us and give us a good warm- up, eh?"  
  
"No need," came a voice, faded, in the distance. The group looked up to see Beatrix and Fratley emerging from a flurry of lifted snow, each looking rather strained as they lugged what appeared to be assorted Mistodon parts over their shoulders. Fratley was grinning slightly at the ridiculousness of the situation.  
  
"Thought we could search these over for useful items," said Beatrix, throwing a Mistodon head and a couple of legs into the snow with a thud. Fratley followed suit, dispensing his load with a chuckle.  
  
Zidane stood up and stooped over the items, nodding. "All else fails, we can use 'em for fuel . . ."  
  
". . . That's gross," Eiko muttered, making a face.  
  
"B-but very p-practical," Vivi whispered, pulling his coat tighter around his little body.  
  
As the group began to search through the corpse-pieces Kuja folded his arms across his chest and gazed out across the endless expanse of white. Somewhere on this very continent was Garland . . . Somewhere nearby Garland was scheming. If he didn't know better, the sorcerer would've said the overlord was standing, watching, right behind him the entire time. He shivered, frowning.  
  
"Hey, Kuja!" It was Steiner, and he was looking extremely annoyed. "If you're not going to give us a hand over here, the least you can do is go stand on watch!"  
  
Kuja turned his face away, snorting delicately. Steiner's eyes narrowed.  
  
"Get up, you mangy cur! It's time you lugged some of your weight around here!"  
  
"Yeah, if he had any," Zidane teased as he chucked one of the Mistodon-legs into the crackling fire.  
  
Kuja made a derisive noise and looked away. "Please, Steiner . . . Do you honestly want to rest your life in MY hands . . .?"  
  
The captain gulped, eyes wide. "I knew we couldn't trust him!" he gasped, pointing an accusing finger. "I knew it!"  
  
"Steiner, would you calm down?!" Beatrix snapped, glaring at the knight. "Leave him alone . . ."  
  
But before Steiner could respond, Kuja was on his feet. "I'll do it," he snarled. "But if a Mistodon 'accidentally' finds its way into the camp you can blame it on yourself . . ."  
  
The others watched the warlock trek away silently through the snow. An air of unease was settling upon them.  
  
"Cheerful young man, isn't he?" Freya queried.  
  
Zidane blushed.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The prisoner thrashed and sobbed, but nothing she could do would make the geonomes let go of her. They dragged her down the halls, far away from Ummei and the dingy little room, until she lay beneath a large steel door. She knew immediately where she was:  
  
Garland's throne room . . .  
  
"Get in there!"  
  
The door was thrown open and the purple-eyed woman chucked unceremoniously into the blackened room. She crumpled uselessly to the floor and the geonomes dragged her by the back of her cloak before the great black throne where Garland sat placidly above her.  
  
He seemed rather amused by the spectacle and a cold grin was twisted upon his lips. He nodded to his geonomes and they bowed respectively and backed up to the guard the entrance of the door. Then his icy eyes turned back onto the woman collapsed at his feet and he sighed.  
  
". . . Get up . . ."  
  
The purple-eyed woman let out a small sob and growled. "Make me, jackass!"  
  
Garland smirked. "Now, now. You know as well as I do that you would not like it if I made you get up . . ."  
  
Of course, he was right. But she wasn't about to admit that.  
  
"What do you want, Garland?!" the prisoner snarled, pulling herself up slightly and staring at the Terran. He folded his arms across his chest thoughtfully and frowned.  
  
"You know things . . ." he said simply, shrugging. "In this particular situation you are the only mortal alive who knows more than I . . . And I want to know what you know and know who else you've . . . spoken . . . to,"  
  
The purple-eyed woman laughed. "Are you kidding?! I don't know a thing! And even if I did, I certainly wouldn't tell YOU!"  
  
There was a glitter in Garland's eyes that the prisoner didn't like. He was plotting something . . . Just like always . . .  
  
"Is that so?" he queried, smiling. "Hmm . . . Well we'll just have to change that, won't we? Drakja?"  
  
The woman blanched as she spotted the familiar, harsh featured man melting from the shadows. She hadn't even noticed him there! He was grinning widely, a whip clenched tightly in his hand. The prisoner instinctively raised her arms to defend herself from a blow . . .  
  
But the smack of the whip never came . . .  
  
"Tell me," Garland commanded softly, lowering his eyes to the cowering mage. "Is it not true that you and your perpetual guard have become rather . . . close?"  
  
/Ummei?/ the purple-eyed woman thought in wonderment. /What does this have to do with him?!/  
  
Suspecting this was all a trick to prove she would tell him information when commanded, the prisoner didn't say a word. Unfortunately, this gesture had the opposite affect.  
  
"I see . . . Then you have . . ." Garland mused, smirking. He turned slowly to Drakja and nodded. "Let us begin . . ."  
  
Drakja seemed to be stifling a giggle. He practically hopped away from the throne and over to the wall beside it, right across from the prisoner. Excitedly he punched a few numbers hidden in the steel and stepped back as a part of the wall lifted with a hiss. A smoke curled out from under the door and when it cleared, the purple-eyed woman, who was usually so reserved, gasped in sheer terror.  
  
Behind the wall was a tube-shaped cell the size of a bathroom stall. Chains hung from its ceiling and, shackled tightly to them with his back facing the woman, was Ummei . . .  
  
/No . . ./  
  
He was shirtless and his back was glowing raw from previous whippings. Now Drakja stood beside the stall, the weapon in his hands, grinning.  
  
"You still wish to remain silent?" Garland queried, tilting his head to the side. "If so, then let others pay for your stupidity . . ." He nodded once and Drakja swung the rope through the air, bringing it down with a crack across Ummei's back. The young geonome cried out in agony as a streak of blood ran down his skin.  
  
/Dear god . . ./ The woman could only watch in horror as Drakja stepped back, wiping the crimson from his weapon.  
  
"Well?" said Garland softly, raising a delicate eyebrow. "Will you tell me what I wish to know or will you allow your 'friend' to suffer?"  
  
The prisoner was too shocked to speak. She just shook her head in disbelief, pulling herself up into a sitting position and gazing at the torn flesh of Ummei's back.  
  
"No? Well, then I'm afraid we'll just have to try that again, won't we?" Garland feigned sympathy.  
  
Once more, Drakja lifted the weapon and once more the crack was followed by Ummei's scream. The poor omega sobbed, shaking his head angrily.  
  
"Don't tell them anything!" he cried, craning his neck to see his jail-mate better. "Please, god, don't tell them anything!"  
  
The purple-eyed woman tried to stifle a scream. It was not in her nature to cry, but at the moment she was closer than she'd ever been. Garland knew this, of course, and his eyes flashed with delight.  
  
"Really, this isn't getting us anywhere. We can do this for hours if you'd like. After all, I can afford to lose HIM . . ."  
  
Ummei looked as if he'd been stabbed in the chest and he bowed his head in shame. Garland nodded to Drakja and another crack and scream filled the echoing chamber. The woman closed her eyes in agony.  
  
/I can't tell him anything . . . And Ummei knows it . . . But what can I do? Will Garland just let this go until Ummei dies?! Could I . . . make something up? But Garland's telepathic . . ./ the prisoner clenched a fist near her chest. /More like psychopathic . . ./  
  
"It really is sad . . ." Garland drawled, resting his head in his hand. ". . . To injure such a stupid creature . . . It is the cruelest thing any person can do; injure a thing that doesn't understand why it's being hurt . . ."  
  
The prisoner frowned. /How dumb does Garland think Ummei is . . .?!/  
  
"He's not stupid!" she shouted defiantly. "And if he is, then why do you use him so often for missions?!"  
  
Garland smiled faintly. "He can be intelligent on occasion . . . But the fact that he agreed to this proves that, at the moment, he is at his lowest level of understanding . . ."  
  
Ummei hung limply in the chains, teeth clenched. He was shaking with rage and pain. "You need me . . ." he whispered angrily. "I know you do . . ."  
  
"Silence!" Drakja snarled, bringing the whip down hard on Ummei's shoulder. The omega shrieked as blood splattered to the floor and he crumpled loosely in his bindings. The purple-eyed woman couldn't take it any longer.  
  
"What do you want to know?!" she cried, tears running down her cheeks. "Please, anything! Just stop!"  
  
Ummei whipped his head around, disbelieving, over his shoulder. "No . . ."  
  
Garland sat up straighter, beaming. "Now that's more like it!" He leaned forward eagerly. "Well now, let's get down to business . . . First answer me this: how do you know about Saishoja?"  
  
The purple-eyed woman blinked, surprised. /How did he know that I know?/  
  
Garland smirked. "You really must stop letting your guard down, ma'am. You know as well as I that when you let your barriers drop I can read you as well as I can read anyone else . . ."  
  
The prisoner growled lightly. "You son of a bitch . . ." Then she remembered how she knew of Saishoja and smiled superiorly. "Why, Garland. You really must stop letting your guard down. You know as well as I that when you let your barriers drop I can read you as well as I can read anyone else . . . Jackass," she added smugly. Garland chuckled, shifting slightly in his throne.  
  
"Well now we're even, I guess. So you know of Saishoja and Drakja? Which means you know of Madeline and Triss as well?"  
  
The woman frowned. She knew of Madeline, yes. But who was this Triss? Garland nodded, listening to her every word. The prisoner gasped and immediately put up her barriers. Garland smirked, leaning back.  
  
"Too late . . . So you do not know of Triss? Good. Then you know less of my plans than I thought,"  
  
The purple-eyed woman was wracking her brain. /Triss? Who the heck is this Triss? I don't even know what gender it is!/  
  
Her question was answered for her as Garland began to speak. "Drakja, I'll be sending you and Ummei out to meet with Triss tonight. I need some . . . things . . . from her."  
  
Drakja's eyes were wide. "You mean - ?"  
  
Garland waved an irritable hand which forced Drakja's mouth to shut closed like a trap and gag. "Fool!" Garland shouted, glaring at the alpha-male. "We will speak of this later! When the prisoner can't hear us!"  
  
Drakja, silenced, simply nodded and cast his emerald eyes away from his master. Ummei whimpered.  
  
"This is all my fault . . ." he moaned, shaking his head miserably as the sopping locks fell into face. "It's all my fault . . ."  
  
Garland, still a bit flustered, turned back to the purple-eyed woman and gave her a faint smile.  
  
"Interesting, is it not, how thoughtless Drakja can be? Sometimes he is no better than Ummei,"  
  
Drakja raised an eyebrow, looking hurt, but was unable to speak with the spell clogging his throat.  
  
"You see," said Garland. "When all my geonomes were created from the remains of Drakja's dead body - much the way Kuja was made from Saishoja's own flesh - each of the creations, as was only natural, took on an individual trait of the original Drakja. Some of the geonomes are very serious while others have a sense of humor. Some geonomes are powerful and others are weak," Garland glanced at Ummei as he said this. "That was the how the hierarchy was set up among them. Only one geonome was an exact duplicate of Drakja down to the very last personality trait. And that geonome I named after his predecessor," Garland's whitened eyes fell onto Drakja, who blanched and turned away.  
  
"In some ways," Garland continued. "Ummei represents the original Drakja down to the very core. The original was brilliant; and thus Ummei can be brilliant. But in some ways Ummei is more like the original Drakja when he is not brilliant. And unfortunately all my geonomes have that trait. I'd hoped it would be squashed from them when I extracted the DNA from Drakja's body, but unfortunately it wasn't,"  
  
"And what trait was that?" the purple-eyed woman snarled, wiping angrily at her eyes. "Stupidity?!"  
  
A flash of regret passed over Garland's face and he smiled sadly.  
  
". . . Yes . . ."  
  
Ummei listened on in silence, sniffling. Drakja, who couldn't have talked if he'd wanted to, was wide-eyed. It was hard to pinpoint exactly what he was thinking. But no matter what, it was obvious that his pride was crushed.  
  
Garland seemed a bit uncomfortable now, and he was gazing irritably towards the back wall. "Drakja was a fool . . . Because of him, the surface of our planet was scorched and Terra forced to attempt an assimilation with a younger planet which, as you well know, ended all life on both of them,"  
  
The prisoner blinked, surprised. She knew that because Drakja had killed Saishoja all those years ago, the cities had nuked each other to death. Then, suddenly, it made sense. If the nuclear weapons had ruined the surface of Terra, then the Terran's only means of saving the survivors would be to assimilate with another planet! The prisoner almost smiled at the irony of it all. Now, six-hundred years later, the exact opposite had happened. Rather than Saishoja's death sparking the destruction of Terra's surface, the recreation of Saishoja - Kuja - had scorched it himself! If the situation hadn't been so bleak, the woman would have laughed aloud.  
  
Garland did not seem as psyched to get information from his captive as he had been before. Now he looked disgruntled and disgusted. "Get her out of my sight . . ." he muttered, waving a hand at the purple-eyed woman. Before she could speak, the two geonomes at the door had seized her by her arms and were dragging her unceremoniously from the room. But the prisoner didn't protest. After all, Ummei was safe for now.  
  
Once the door had closed soundly behind the threesome, Garland turned his attention back to Drakja and Ummei, both of whom seemed lost in thought. But at the sharp sound of their names, both geonomes looked up.  
  
"Listen to me," Garland said. "Tonight I'm sending both of you and Dart out to meet with Triss. Do you know who she is?"  
  
Ummei was too weak to make a sound and simply hung like a dead-man in his chains. Drakja just shook his head, looking as if there was an apple stuck in his throat. Garland sighed and explained.  
  
"Triss is a very . . . special . . . weapons-smith. She specializes in rare forms of weaponry, the likes of which can only be purchased from her and her alone. I, myself, have spoken with Triss before. She lives in a cave hidden deep in a forest near the Fire Shrine. There is no snow in the forest because of the heat from her tools, and thus you should be able to find it easily,"  
  
Drakja gulped. /The tools used for her weaponry are enough to melt the snow of an entire forest?!/  
  
Garland continued, ignoring the petrified expression on Drakja's face. "Though I have met with her, I'm still not completely sure what Triss is. Regardless, there are some things you should know before speaking with her. First of all, she has a hot temper. Make her angry and you will pay for it with your life. Second, she takes much pride in her weapons. Whether you like them or not, try to compliment her. Third, she may seem very creepy at first. Don't be scared. You'll only . . . make it worse,"  
  
Drakja nodded obediently.  
  
"I need you to get a very special set of bullets." explained Garland. "They are known as the Momoku and they can only be created and bought from Triss. You see, Triss has mastered the art of many poisons, such as the Momoku. But she has an interesting style . . . these bullets are coated in the Momoku,"  
  
Drakja's green eyes widened. /Poison-coated bullets?! But what's the point in having bullets soaked in poison if the bullet will kill the victim before the toxin can take affect?! What could Garland possibly want them for?!/  
  
"Once you have the bullets," said Garland. "Don't report back to me. Take them and the rest of the geonomes out onto the Forgotten Continent. You are not to come talk to me again until - you - have - shot - the - first - Angel - of - Death,"  
  
Ummei, who was half-conscious, twisted around, horrified, in his bindings. /Shoot Kuja?! Shit! I can't warn that woman!/  
  
"Is that clear?" Garland queried softly. Drakja nodded, looking as surprised as Ummei. "Good. As for the other geonomes: Ummei and Dart are going to do something else for me that I'll explain after you're gone. Chikara will be summoning another part of the plan while you work. I'll fill you in on that later . . . Understood?"  
  
Another nod.  
  
"Good, then get out of my sight,"  
  
Drakja didn't move. Garland raised an eyebrow, then sighed. He waved his hand, lifting the spell from Drakja's throat. The alpha-male rubbed his neck thankfully and left.  
  
"Oh, and get Dart!" Garland called to Drakja's retreating form. "I need to give her and Ummei their mission!"  
  
Drakja simply nodded. He was too bogged down by the day's events to answer.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kuja was not in the mood to stare at snow. Perhaps if they'd been somewhere where there was actually a change in color from inch to inch he would have been more keen to stand guard. But at the present moment everything was either white, gray, and occasionally yellow (which was disturbing enough). On top of that . . . IT WAS GOD DAMN COLD!!! Every breath of air from the wind was like claws scraping at his skin. He could feel the flesh being torn from his back as he stood there, gazing sharply at the never-ending, rolling expanses of white powder.  
  
"This is so pointless . . ." Kuja grumbled, shaking out his silver hair as a gust of wind blew fresh flakes into his perfectly placed locks. He ran his numbed fingers through the hair to rid it of the snow and noticed, as he had on occasion, that one of his four feathers was missing. He'd never really wondered where it had gone and figured the Iifa Tree had probably swallowed it up. But still . . .  
  
Kuja hesitated, frowning. He couldn't explain why, but he felt like he was being watched . . . Like the eyes of Garland were boring in on him from all sides . . .  
  
"I'm going to KILL Steiner when I get back . . ." the warlock hissed, teeth chattering. "This is so offending . . ."  
  
But Kuja was sure now. His genome senses didn't lie. Garland's presence was unbearably close. Or, more likely, one of the geonomes. Kuja stiffened, snarling lightly.  
  
/Maybe I should go back and warn the others . . ./  
  
And with that, he turned to go . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Chikara was smirking widely as he stood within the dungeon, smacking the hilt of his whip hard into the palm of his hand.  
  
"Well? Will you do it or not?"  
  
Megan struggled furiously, fighting the bonds that held her arms up over her head. She leaned forward, nearly twisting her shoulders off, and spat angrily at the geonome's feet.  
  
"Let me go!" she shrieked, thrashing wildly in her chains. Chikara laughed, watching his prisoner struggle.  
  
"It won't do you any good . . . You're just a weak Gaian, after all . . ."  
  
"RELEASE ME!!!" Megan shrieked, baring her teeth furiously. "I'm not kidding! I - I've got friends in high places and they'll . . . they'll kick your ass!"  
  
Chikara smirked, unraveling his whip and allowing the rope to trail along the floor. "Is that so?"  
  
"Yes!" Megan snarled, narrowing her eyes dangerously. "You vermin! You and the rest of your filth who killed my mom and grandma! You're gonna pay for that!"  
  
Chikara's eyes flashed coldly and he couldn't help but grin. "And your father? Who killed him? Is he not allied with your 'friends in high places?'"  
  
Megan felt the blood run cold from her face. "H-how dare you . . .!"  
  
Chikara shrugged. "Your life . . . Now, are you going to do it or not?"  
  
". . . Do what . . .?!"  
  
"Do it!" Chikara growled, bringing the whip down hard on Megan's shoulders. She cried out as the searing pain tore at her flesh. "Come on!" the geonome shouted. "Garland's waiting!"  
  
"I don't know what you're TALKING ABOUT!!!" Megan sobbed, feeling a trickle of blood run down her back. Chikara sighed, rolling up his whip once more.  
  
"I'll leave you to think about it . . . When you're ready to summon for us, let us know . . ."  
  
Megan's eyes widened in sheer, uncomprehensible horror.  
  
/Summon . . .?! But . . . I can't!/  
  
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A/N: POP- QUIZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yay! If one of you guys can get this right, maybe I'll stick you in this story. Not a bad deal, ne? Here's the question (and there IS a right answer. If you read this story REALLY carefully then this question should be no problem):  
  
Question: Kuja is missing one of his four feathers. WHERE IS IT?!  
  
Time to see who's REALLY read this story . . . Heehee . . .  
  
Other Important Notes:  
  
#1. The name of the bullet poison is a real word. If you know what it is, DON'T SPOIL IT FOR ANYONE ELSE! You could ruin the whole plot if ya did . . .  
  
#2. As you know, I know this entire story down to the very last scene. Regardless, certain things have changed. I finally made my decision on one thing: THERE WILL BE A CHARACTER-DEATH IN AN UPCOMING CHAPTER!!! DON'T BE SURPRISED!!!  
  
#3. Here's something one of my friends was wondering: Yes, the purple-eyed woman DOES have a name. I just haven't said it yet (for some reason). But she really does have a name! I swear!  
  
#4. I need to settle an argument. How do you pronounce Eiko's name? I gotta win this argument . . .  
  
Ooh, and for anyone who's seen the Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children trailer, here's my prediction: the guy in black with the short, silver hair is one of the Sephiroth clones and the dude in the wheelchair IS Sephiroth! Makes sense, right? 


	29. Triss's Cavern

A/N: Holy Guacamole! I've never gotten so many reviews in my life as I did for the last chapter! Gracious . . . You're all . . . too kind . . . *sob* I LOVE YOU ALL!!! Anonymous, Beholder of the Shadows, Siyengo, Kuja San AKA. Sara Buu, Angel of Death 87, SunDiamond, Sors, Piccolo999, ThunDaga (ooh, thanks for not telling what the word meant ^_^), Raining-Fire-1000, poohsbestfriend (the real Triss, by the way), ShiAne, Madwritter, and Joseph, YOU'RE ALL SO COOL!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you! So let's see . . . There were fifteen reviews, how many got the Kuja-feather question right . . .? Hey, five people! Not bad! Um, ShiAne got it, ThunDaga got it, Angel of Death 87 got it, uh . . . Siyengo did, and Beholder of the Shadows got it! Congrats, guy! Yeah, it was in chapter thirteen or something. Zidane found it after Kuja vanished near the Iifa Tree and, thinking Kuja was dead and the feather was the last thing left of him, Zidane put it on a silver chain and wore it around his neck like a necklace (he still has it, by the way. It'll probably be mentioned again later). Baku was the one that caught Zidane wearing it and forced him to confess why he still had it. Yeah . . . Um, some people thought Kuja lost it in the fight with Drakja and you know what, you guys are still awesome! Because that means you remember something else that I, Black Mage Dad, forgot (bad BMD, bad!) After Kuja transformed, Lulian spotted a RED feather on the ground that had drifted from Kuja's hair (which highlights red when he changes). But she put it back down and Zidane took it and was sort of afraid of it (for obvious reasons). So if you said that, you're still great. And if you didn't get it, that's okay 'cause even I had to look back to find the chapter and stuff. Thanks everyone!  
  
Disclaimer: Lawyers are evil . . . They make me have to admit to my lack of owning Final Fantasy . . . EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEVIL!!!  
  
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"Everything is coming back to me, the true . . ."  
  
- Currently unknown character, Deep Dive (Kingdom Hearts)  
  
"Come on, bitch! Summon for Master Garland!"  
  
Several of the geonomes snickered as they lazed around the chamber and watched Chikara whip the young Summoner who had fallen so easily into their midst. The geonomes seemed to think this was all some sort of sport. Megan sobbed as she fell limp within her shackles.  
  
"I . . . I can't!" she cried for about the millionth time that day. Chikara's face contorted with annoyance.  
  
"Don't be coy with me! You will summon when we tell you to summon!"  
  
Megan's face reddened with fury. "How can I perform a task I'm physically incapable of doing?!"  
  
Chikara opened his mouth to respond when one of the other geonomes leapt to his feet excitedly.  
  
"Hey, Chikara, man! Give ME a turn with her!"  
  
"Yeah, me too! I'll slap that bitch until she's POURING Eidolons on us!"  
  
Megan's eyes widened with fear. /These people are INSANE!!!/  
  
"How many times do I have to tell you - "  
  
The door suddenly slammed open containing such force that it bounced back off the wall with the sound of a pistol-shot. Even Megan leapt in her chains, yelping. All the geonomes in the room snapped to their feet instantly and stood still in rigid military-stances in case it was Garland or a high-ranking geonome entering the room.  
  
But the sight that met the geonomes was not exactly what they'd expected . . .  
  
Drakja, his eyes glazed over in pain, stumbled half-dazed into the room. His face was twisted in agony and he clutched onto the wall, breathing hard. Then, as if overwhelmed by something only he could see, Drakja collapsed to his knees and began to cough furiously.  
  
The geonomes all glanced at each other out of the corners of their eyes. This had been happening more and more lately and Drakja's minions were starting to question their leader's sanity. Chikara did not even look at Drakja. It was hard to tell if he was ashamed of his master or completely indifferent to the odd actions.  
  
Between coughs, Drakja managed to speak. "Chikara - get - out - of - here!" he gasped, barely able to catch his breath. "Garland . . . Garland wants to speak with you! GO!!!"  
  
Chikara hesitated, glancing at his shivering master. Drakja frowned, coughing.  
  
"Are you . . . defying orders?!"  
  
Chikara bit his lip, twiddling the whip between his fingers. "Drakja, sir. Before I move, I must know . . . What are you doing?"  
  
Drakja's eyes widened. Chikara seemed generally curious, not accusing. But that wasn't the point . . . Drakja sobered immediately with fury and rose, bristling, to his feet.  
  
"You are out of place, beta!" Drakja's cough was completely gone, but he was blushing. No one could know what was plaguing him . . .  
  
No one . . .  
  
Chikara dropped his head slightly, ducking his tail between his ankles. "I'm sorry, sir . . ."  
  
Drakja tried to make himself as threatening as possible despite the fact that Chikara was physically more muscular than himself.  
  
"Are you questioning my authority, Chikara?! Have you forgotten your place?!"  
  
Megan watched, fascinated. /So it's true, then . . . They ARE set up like a wolf-pack . . . Weird . . ./  
  
The other geonomes shifted nervously, not wanting to get themselves involved. They knew as well as Chikara that after one of his vulnerable fits, Drakja typically got very edgy . . .  
  
"Well?!" Drakja spat, snarling. "Have you?!"  
  
Chikara bowed his head. "No, sir . . . I'll go now . . ." He scampered hurriedly past his seething master, tucking his whip into his belt. Drakja watched him go, growling, and then whipped back to the other geonomes.  
  
"What the HELL are you all doing in here?! OUT!!!"  
  
They didn't need to be told twice. At least a dozen geonomes clawed and bit at each other to get out the door at the same time, not wanting to be caught in the room with Drakja's fury.  
  
The geonome, forgetting Megan was still shackled within the shadows of the room, slumped to the floor once more and curled himself into a ball, whimpering. The visions that had been plaguing him before were returning . . . Consuming him . . .  
  
/Flash/  
  
"What's your problem, brat? You wanna mess?"  
  
"Man, what a little punk! Lookit him cry!"  
  
"Haha! Wuss!"  
  
"Cry-baby!"  
  
The little child sniffled, wiping his eyes with one grass-stained hand. The other children that stood over him were laughing as one of the boys thrust his foot into the weeping child's side. His silver hair was caked with dirt as he shook with small sobs.  
  
Nearby stood another boy, a little younger in age. His green eyes were bright with curiosity as he gripped his father's hand and watched the pathetic sight. The older man was laughing.  
  
"See that, Drakja? That's what they call Natural Selection. You see, only the strongest of the species survive and they prey on the weak to get rid of them. Then the weak can't reproduce and, when the weak genes aren't passed on, the species grows stronger,"  
  
The little boy blinked, staring at the children across the park that brutally beat upon the silver-haired child. At his tender young age, he could not even begin to comprehend the true horror behind what the boys were doing . . .  
  
A shriek suddenly arose from the other end of the park. A woman was running through the grass, lifting the hem of her dress to keep it off the ground. Her beautiful, fair face was twisted with fury yet despite her anger she remained almost angelic in appearance. Her nearly white blonde hair was unraveling from its bun as she ran.  
  
"Stop it!" she screamed, running up to one of the young boys and smacking him powerfully across the face. "You monsters! Get away from him! How DARE you take advantage of his condition!!!"  
  
The young Drakja felt his father's hand tighten upon his as if in annoyance, but he didn't say a word.  
  
The young woman with the ghostly hair, after roundly smacking each of the boys and threatening to tell their parents, dropped to her knees beside the crying little boy and gently tried to quiet him.  
  
"It's okay, Saishoja," she murmured, running a thumb over his cut cheek. "They're gone, they - "  
  
She froze, her crystal blue eyes widening with sheer disbelief as they finally noticed the man standing silently a few yards away. She seemed mute with shock for several moments and then she began to tremble with passionate hate.  
  
". . . Uragiru . . . You . . . You stood there this entire time and watched them do this . . . and you didn't try to STOP THEM?!!"  
  
Uragiru smiled a truly cunning smile and squeezed Drakja's small hand gently.  
  
"Ah, Isra . . . Please, you must not accuse me so. It is simply the only way your son can be trained . . . How will he learn to fight if he cannot be in the army?" he glanced fondly at Drakja at this statement and smirked. Isra's face reddened and she roughly seized her son up into her arms.  
  
"He doesn't need to fight to be a worthy member of society! He is smart! He will matter one day!"  
  
Uragiru threw his head back, laughing. "Matter? I think not! In this age of building tensions among the cities, the people of Terra care only if their men can fight. Have you not heard? One of the local commanders has mentioned Drakja's name to a captain. He may become one of the youngest boys accepted into the army in the history of Tanjo AND Terra!"  
  
He ruffled his young son's hair in a fatherly fashion, but Drakja's emerald eyes - so like his father's - were looking strangely at the little boy in Isra's arms. The boy who, despite being at least two years older than Drakja himself, was more helpless than a newborn mouse . . . But he couldn't question his father's actions. That would be stepping out of bounds in more ways than one . . .  
  
"Mama, put me down . . ." Saishoja whimpered, fearfully listening to the words that Uragiru spoke. "Mama, please . . ."  
  
Isra hesitated, looking down at the boy in her arms. With a sigh, she lowered him carefully into the grass. Saishoja wobbled and clutched onto his mother's skirt. Uragiru shook his head as if embarrassed by something.  
  
"Father, can we go?" Drakja queried suddenly, looking up inquisitively at the older man. Uragiru blinked and then, chuckling, nodded.  
  
"Yes, yes . . . Let us go. It shan't be long before the day arrives that those like Saishoja are weeded out BEFORE they are born . . ."  
  
Isra's face contorted as if she'd been stabbed and she angrily yanked Saishoja off his feet once more. As she watched Uragiru go, however, her expression turned to one of utmost fear.  
  
"Saishoja . . . Saishoja, we must flee . . . tonight; to Shi. They will accept us. Their minds are not muddled with thoughts of war and swords. Yes, tonight we shall run to Shi . . . Lord forgive me . . . For I have betrayed Him,"  
  
Saishoja shuddered as his mother lowered him to the ground. He could feel her trembling as she stood there. For a moment he swayed once more, and then a piercing pain seemed to run through his body. For merely a second he stood there, stiff with fear, and then suddenly a strange wisdom seemed to light his face. A veil appeared to be pulled from his eyes and in that moment he knew the truth:  
  
One day he, too, would fight . . .  
  
And then they would ALL see . . .  
  
/Flash/  
  
Drakja's eyes seemed to be a million miles away. Megan stared at him in horror, for a moment forgetting the pain that ripped through her flesh. The man she had come to fear so greatly was lying curled up on the floor and shivering as if he'd seen a ghost. Megan bit her lip, frowning.  
  
/What is this . . .? Do I . . . pity him . . .?!/  
  
And then Drakja's eyes snapped back into focus and he unfurled himself, blinking in confusion. He seemed stunned. But when he rolled onto his back his eyes caught sight of the prisoner staring so piteously at his pathetic form. The geonome's first instinct was anger, but the fury immediately melted into a sadness he could not describe. It made him long for Lulian, who remained isolated in the infirmary-ward recovering from her injuries.  
  
"Did you . . . see everything?" Drakja queried softly. Megan, too confounded to speak, nodded, yes. Drakja seemed even more troubled than before and he rose slowly to his feet. For a moment he hesitated, and then, finally, he spoke.  
  
"Don't take life for granted," he murmured softly. "In a few days you're going to see what comes to those who let life pass them by," then he added as an after-thought: "I'm not insane,"  
  
Megan's eyes flickered with curiosity as the geonome padded from the dungeon. She was still absorbing Drakja's strange words.  
  
"In a few days I will see what comes to those who let life pass them by?" And then she understood . . .  
  
". . . Kuja . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The crew seemed rather worried as they listened to what Kuja had to say. Zidane, albeit reluctantly, admitted to having sensed a strange presence upon the land as well.  
  
"I know what you mean," the blonde genome muttered, scratching the back of his head as he sat by the fire. The glow cast deep, trembling shadows over the faces of the group and caused Kuja's silver hair to glisten eerily against the snowy backdrop. "Ever since we got here I've noticed it. I mean, we know Garland's ship is parked close, but I've got the feeling it's a little closer than we counted on . . ."  
  
"That's not the only thing I sense . . ." Kuja whispered, gazing out across the ghostly tundra. "There's something else . . . Something weird . . ."  
  
Zidane raised an eyebrow, staring at his brother. If he didn't know better he would've said Kuja was . . . listening to something . . .  
  
"Kuja . . . what is it?" Beatrix queried, looking up innocently at the silver-haired genome. Kuja, who had spaced out slightly, blinked and shook his head.  
  
"Ah, nothing . . . Nothing to get concerned over. None of you sense it, right? So it's not a big deal . . ."  
  
Zidane wasn't the only one who thought that statement made no sense. If Kuja sensed it, then it was doubly a concern. His genome perception skills were amazing.  
  
"M-maybe somebody else should go stand guard . . ." Garnet offered, glancing around the circle. Quina waved one pudgy arm excitedly in the air.  
  
"Quina do it!" he cried as if the cold had no affect. "Quina turn Mist monsters into sausages!"  
  
Kuja folded his arms across his chest, slightly ashamed that they thought he couldn't stand around and take down a few monsters . . . Monsters he, himself, had created in the first place . . . Now that he thought about it, rightfully he should've been the one to kill them.  
  
"No, I'll do it," Kuja snapped, glowering. "It's my job. I'll do it . . ."  
  
Freya rolled her eyes and muttered "suck-up" under her breath. Beatrix shrugged.  
  
"If you're sure . . ."  
  
"I'm sure,"  
  
Kuja, without another word, stormed away from his newfound comrades. He was mad that they were so willing to replace him. He hated being replaced, after all . . .  
  
Once he was far from their eyes, however, he immediately focused on the presence he'd been feeling. He wished he could at least tell Zidane what it was that he sensed, but something was holding him back. Besides, it seemed only he could hear it.  
  
Every time the wind blew Kuja heard voices whispering to his ears. At times he felt the voices came from within himself and it was then that he was reminded of the things that lurked within his very soul. Those people that corrupted him . . . If the sorcerer concentrated hard enough he could practically hear what they were saying, but most of the time it was just a bunch of muddled up gargling. Was Garland doing this to confuse him?  
  
/The Mist . . ./ one of the voices whispered, wrapping itself around Kuja's heart. The genome winced, shaking his head to rid it of the infernal racket.  
  
/The Mist . . ./ they moaned once more. Kuja was under the impression that they were calling to it . . . pleading with it as if the Mist had a heart and soul.  
  
"Well, maybe it does," Kuja joked aloud. "It IS made of souls . . . Well, the dregs at least . . ."  
  
/Free us! It calls to us! He will find us!/  
  
Kuja closed his eyes at the barrage of screams within his mind. It wasn't the first time and probably not the last . . . They sounded like they were panicking. He wished he could understand them better.  
  
"Why do you want the Mist?" Kuja queried, rubbing his forehead agitatedly. A wind picked up and Kuja could practically smell the dregs of souls upon it.  
  
"Maybe I AM going insane . . ."  
  
"Kuja, we're moving on!" a voice shouted from the distance. Kuja blinked, and then realized it was Lani, not one of the weird whisperings of the wind . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"So let me get this straight . . . We're going to keep walking through the FRIGID cold until we find a forest with no snow which, mind you, could be ANYWHERE on the entire continent?!"  
  
". . . Exactly . . ."  
  
"And . . . how do you propose we do this?"  
  
"Um, well . . ."  
  
"Couldn't that be it right there?"  
  
Ummei blinked innocently as he cut into Dart and Drakja's argument. The two geonomes stared at him blankly for several seconds and then looked in the direction he was pointing. Tucked away in a valley between two mountainous hills of snow was a large, barren forest. It's trees were twisted and gnarled, the evergreens sagging as if a heat were drying them to a crisp. Drakja made a face of the utmost disgust.  
  
"Yes . . . That could be it . . ."  
  
Once the trio had completed their descent into the valley, they allowed themselves to be swallowed up by the trees. Darkness overtook them in the chill as a creeping heat began to press their skin. Now they were within the forest of Triss . . .  
  
"Dude, this place is SO weird . . ." Dart pointed out, flipping her mahogany curls over her shoulder as they trekked. The pinecone needles and twigs snapped beneath their feet, echoing like gunshots in the eerie silence. Not a bird or animal could be seen or heard, yet occasionally the geonomes passed an animal hide or skeleton nestled among the decay of the forest floor.  
  
"I-I don't like it here . . ." Ummei whimpered, glancing around fearfully. Drakja sighed.  
  
/Why is it that out of more than a hundred geonomes, Garland always pairs me up with THESE numbskulls?! Gah, it's so not fair . . ./  
  
"So, are we looking for a cave or something?" Dart queried, twirling one of her bracelets around her finger. Drakja shrugged.  
  
"Sounds like it . . ."  
  
"A cave in a FOREST . . .?"  
  
". . . That's what Garland said . . ."  
  
"Is THAT it . . .?"  
  
Ummei tapped Drakja on the shoulder and pointed. The trio froze as they spotted a looming black cave cut into a mountainous protrusion in the forest floor. Jagged stalactites hung lazily from the ceiling giving the cave the appearance of roaring jaws. The group stared at it in amazement for several seconds before Drakja, annoyed, beckoned them to continue.  
  
An intense heat was beginning to build as they neared the yawning cave. Soon, even Drakja was fanning himself. Though the cave was completely open and nothing blocked its entrance, there was also nothing inside . . . Or, at least, nothing they could see in the darkness . . . Dart cocked her head curiously.  
  
"Think we should, like, knock on the wall or something?"  
  
Drakja shrugged. "It's worth a shot . . . Ummei, go knock on the wall,"  
  
Ummei's green eyes widened with fear. "WHAT?!! Why me?!"  
  
"Because you're the omega and you have to do what we tell you!" Dart snapped, shoving Ummei forward. He stumbled and, naturally, tripped over his untied boot lace. He tumbled into the dirt entrance and lay there blinking stupidly for several seconds. Suddenly, a boot came down hard upon his hand. Ummei yelped, closing his eyes as a slicing sound filled the air. There was a soft cackle from above him and when the geonome looked up, his face became filled with dread.  
  
Standing with its boot upon Ummei's hand was a small, cloaked figure lost in the folds of ebony cloth. A pair of black eyes sparkled from beneath the hood, but its face, otherwise, could not be seen. It's teeth flashed white as it smiled and, despite the fact that the person (or whatever it was) was less than five feet tall, it's voice was strong and sinister.  
  
"Don't move your hand, fool, unless you wish to be cut. The bottoms of these boots contain retractable knives . . . Wouldn't want to lose a finger, eh lad?"  
  
Drakja was sure the creature was joking, but when she (as could be determined from the voice) lifted her foot, they saw the glittering, deadly blades. There was a metallic slice and the knives withdrew themselves back into the sole. The creature put her foot down and it's face became lost within the cloak once more.  
  
"I-I take it you're Triss?" Drakja queried, still a bit startled by the girl's sudden appearance. The creature's face turned in his direction and though Drakja couldn't see the eyes, he could feel her piercing gaze upon him.  
  
"Only one creature lives within this forest and that be Triss . . . All others have long since died . . . If you're not talking to Triss, you are talking to a corpse . . ."  
  
All three geonomes gulped. Triss smirked.  
  
"Follow me . . ."  
  
It was difficult to see in the dim shading of the cave, so the geonomes simply allowed the cloaked creature to lead them. She was much different than Drakja had imagined. After all of Garland's warnings, he'd pictured a monstrous beast with glistening fangs and maddened eyes. But instead, all he saw was a young girl, not more than 4'9" in height, who spoke not a word unless spoken to.  
  
The black cloak swished with her every move, sweeping the dusty cave floor as they passed countless cauldrons and bubbling beakers. The heat was becoming more intense and the geonomes could see the throbbing light of the furnace-room where Triss melded her custom-made weapons.  
  
"This room's reserved for the poisons . . ." Triss murmured, not even turning as she addressed her customers. Despite the heat of the room, the odd creature would not lower her hood. Only a few black strands of hair drifted from its frame, obscuring her pale face.  
  
Eventually she stopped and peered into a clear beaker fizzing with a violet liquid atop one of the many crates that lined the walls. As if half- interested in the guests, she queried:  
  
"What have you come to buy?"  
  
Ummei was obviously too scared to speak. Dart, of course, was eager to answer, but Drakja, from experience, held up a hand to silence her.  
  
"We've been sent by Garland," Drakja explained, stiff with the fright he would not admit to. "He claims he has already spoken with you,"  
  
Triss snorted. "Aye, and not spoken a word of what he wants . . . Only what he plans to do . . ."  
  
"Ah, well - " Drakja began to speak once more, but Triss held up an arm, still peering intently at the boiling purple liquid.  
  
"Be quick, fool!" she snarled with a voice much harsher than would be expected of such a small person. "I have limited time!"  
  
Drakja nodded hurriedly, running his fingers through his hair. "Garland requests your silver bullets . . . the ones coated in Momoku . . ."  
  
Triss seemed slightly startled and she rose slowly to peer up at the cowering geonome. Her sharp, black eyes bore straight into his soul, spearing his heart with its piercing gaze.  
  
"Garland requests the Momoku-tama? Hmm . . . Then his plan is more sinister than I thought. What be the target? Quickly, fool!"  
  
Drakja cleared his throat, nodding nervously. "H-he plans to shoot Saishoja's Shishon, Kuja. Or should I say, I must shoot - "  
  
Triss was cackling with glee. "The first Angel of Death? My, my . . . Garland plans to use these on a creature that he ought have killed YEARS ago!"  
  
Drakja shivered. "R-regardless . . . I really must have those bullets . . ."  
  
Triss nodded, still muttering incoherently to herself. "I must get them . . . Delicate, they are. Touch nothing!"  
  
As Triss began to shuffle among the many containers, the geonomes half- listened fearfully to her words.  
  
"The Momoku . . . I say, what a cruel thing Garland plans. My finest poison, aye, my finest . . . Rarely kills, nope. Rarely . . . Not my style, death. What joy is gained lest the victim suffer, eh?" she glanced up at Ummei as she lifted a beaker out from one of the shelves. The omega squirmed under her black stare. Though Triss didn't appear much older than fifteen, she was as frightful as the monsters sent straight from Hell itself. Garland's warnings were starting to seem much more a reality . . .  
  
"Yes, yes, the Momoku . . ." Triss continued. "Once absorbed into the bloodstream it can take hours to show signs of existence . . . aye, I've had test subjects not even realize they were poisoned until stage two . . ." she chuckled as if sharing a private joke with herself. "Yes, stage two . . . The fever. Some victims die of stage two, yes . . . Fevers the likes of which no other poison or disease can bring . . . The victim suffers for one night. One night only. Some die then, yes. Most appear to have died, at least. But at that point, the true purpose of the Momoku is revealed . . ."  
  
"A-and what's that?" Ummei queried.  
  
Triss's black eyes glinted in the gloom of the cave and for a moment they saw the piercing red of her pupils; like a cat's.  
  
"That, only the victims and the witnesses shall know . . ."  
  
A heavy silence descended upon the group. Dart was busy tapping the side of one of the beakers. Unfortunately, the sound of Triss's retractable knives cut the air and she aimed a kick at Dart.  
  
"Touch nothing!"  
  
Dart stepped down obediently, blushing. Ummei was staring nervously at a blood-soaked table and the jar of white orbs sitting atop it. If he hadn't known better he would have said they were sightless eyeballs . . .  
  
"What in the . . .?"  
  
"Get away from there!"  
  
There was the sound of flames and Ummei yelped, enveloped in the pyre that shot from Triss's hand. Drakja and Dart's eyes widened with surprise as Ummei dropped to his knees whimpering. Then the fire vanished with a swoosh and he sat there, completely unscathed. Triss chuckled.  
  
"Fooled ya . . . Ah, here they are! The Momoku-tama! I keep them sealed, see, for they are potent and if any of my . . . test subjects . . . were to get into them it would be a nasty problem . . ."  
  
Triss emerged from beneath a set of crates holding a small box which she opened to reveal a dozen glistening silver bullets.  
  
"Now, these can fit into almost any gun . . ." Triss explained in her quiet, sinister voice. "But let me see your weapon just in case . . ."  
  
Drakja nodded, shivering, and withdrew the large red gun from the sheathe around his belt. When he held it up, Triss let out a strangled cry that seemed to be a screech of surprise, anger, and confusion all muddled into one horrible noise.  
  
"You! Where did you get that gun?!"  
  
Drakja paled, stepping away from the snarling creature hurriedly. "G- Garland gave it to me!"  
  
"G-Garland . . . ?!" Triss spluttered, mimicking Drakja's previous comment. "He trusted you with my most precious creation?!"  
  
Drakja's emerald eyes widened. /So THIS is the inventor of my gun! But this weapon is considered the most dangerous gun on Gaia and Terra! Triss is even more powerful than I thought!/  
  
"Fool, do you even know what it can do?!" Triss growled, stepping up to Drakja and looking angrily into his face. Though Drakja was almost a foot and a half taller than her, he still cowered beneath Triss's glare.  
  
"Y-yes . . . Garland wishes me to use it . . . But not until later . . . It has many functions . . ."  
  
"Yes, scum, I know that! I CREATED it!"  
  
"Oh . . . right . . ."  
  
"Have you ever used it?" Triss queried suspiciously. Drakja blushed, recalling the time he'd nearly used its irreversible effects upon Mikoto.  
  
"O-only once . . . But only because I lost my temper . . ."  
  
"Idiot!" Triss shrieked, kicking Drakja hard in the shin. He stumbled backwards, biting his lip with pain. "That gun is not something you can simply swing around as you wish! It is a calculated, precise weapon! It must be used while the victim is holding still and you must take everything! And you must be able to hold it as well, for if you lose the weapon's contents, they will be lost forever!"  
  
"I-I know . . ."  
  
Suddenly, Triss's lips twisted into a grin. "So who's the lucky victim?"  
  
Drakja, taken-aback, responded: "Well, lots of people . . . But the most important one is Kuja. But first I need to shoot him with those bullets," he pointed at the box Triss was holding. She howled with laughter that seemed to sharply contrast her typically stoic nature.  
  
"Ah, Garland always was the master schemer! I did not realize his plan was so precise . . . and devious. It all makes sense now . . ."  
  
Drakja noted that Triss and Garland seemed to know each other.  
  
"Are you from Terra?" Drakja queried innocently. Triss smirked.  
  
"Of course not . . . Do you honestly think I would bare my name to that doomed rock?" her eyes glittered mischievously, and Drakja realized she was plotting something. "Only fools bare their names to places they are not of . . .".  
  
/Flash/  
  
"S-Saishoja . . . You will be fighting for Shi? B-but you are not of their people! You were not born there!"  
  
"Silence, Drakja! I will decide whom I bare my name to!"  
  
/Flash/  
  
Drakja shook his head, frowning. Triss seemed strangely satisfied.  
  
"Well, take the darn bullets!" she snapped, holding out the box. "Load the gun quickly and get out of here!"  
  
Drakja nodded, taking the box and, one by one, placing each of the bullets into its designated cartridge. Triss watched, smiling beneath her hood.  
  
"I have also heard from Garland," she said softly. "That one of your people will be going to one of the nearby forests to ask of a certain creature to fight for you . . ."  
  
Drakja nodded, silencing Dart and Ummei with a look. "Yes, Chikara is going to a forest a few hundred miles from here to get the monster to attack our enemies . . . I think she's just a distraction so I can shoot the Angel of Death . . ."  
  
Triss shrugged, bored. "I never liked that snow-monster anyways . . ."  
  
"Alright, I'm done," Drakja said, nodding. "Guess we'll be going. Uh . . . thank you . . . I, uh . . . just love what you've done with the cave . . ."  
  
Triss smirked as Drakja beckoned his fellow geonomes out of the cave with him. She watched their retreating forms for several moments and then called out:  
  
"You might want to wash your hands in the snow, fool! You must have touched those poison-coated bullets in every way possible!"  
  
Drakja let out an "eep" of fright and dropped hurriedly into the snow.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Chikara stared intently at the creature perched above him; gazing placidly at him from a throne of ice.  
  
"So will you help us?" he queried, casually awaiting its answer. The creature's lips cracked into a smile.  
  
"All I have to do is attack this group of people?"  
  
"Yes. You can kill anyone except the silver-haired genome,"  
  
". . . Sounds too easy . . . What's the catch?"  
  
Chikara smiled innocently, folding his arms across his chest. "They are powerful, that is all . . . Distract them while my master works and we will reward you with full ownership of the entire Shimmering Island and all land west of Triss's forest,"  
  
There was a moment of hesitation before a delicate, tinkling laugh.  
  
"I'd do it for half that . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: GAH! Long chapter! They just . . . keep getting . . . longer . . . But who cares?! I like writing this fic! It's fun! So now we know the creator of Drakja's gun. Hint: it's important! Um . . . What was I gonna say? Oh yeah! Apparently ThunDaga knows what Momoku means, and so I have another little hint for him/her (sorry, but it's hard to tell with aliases, ya know?) Here's the hint (this is for her! Everyone else, back off! *hiss*): if you've seen the Kingdom Hearts Deep Dive video (or you can find screen shots of it on the internet) and you saw the "new" Riku, then you can figure out the purpose of the poison AND a few other hints I've made about other characters. Put two and two together and you might see it . . . I'll admit, Riku was an inspiration for part of the plot (he's so cute, isn't he? He TOTALLY looks like a fifteen year old Kuja). As for everyone else, I'll explain what I'm talking about around . . . chapter thirty-two- ish.  
  
Rompyou! Rompyou! *whimpers* reviews please? 


	30. Fubuki's Fight

A/N: Ah, this is it! The character-death chapter! The freakin' horror! Haha, who will it be? Heh, I bet people who've never even read this fic'll read it just to see who gets squashed! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Well, what are you waiting for?! Read the damn thing already! It's the longest chapter yet . . . SEVENTEEN PAGES!!!  
  
Disclaimer: Why did the chicken cross the road? Because he didn't own Final Fantasy . . . Ha . . . Ha . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal."  
  
- Albert Pike  
  
The cold winds lashed against their skin and caused the mismatched team to bend nearly double against the speckled gale. It felt as if Shiva herself was blowing furiously upon them, slapping their damp hair against their faces and burning through their clothes. Vivi, already tired from the grueling trip on such short legs, had collapsed into the snow only minutes before and now Fratley was carrying the boy in his arms and shielding him from the unrelenting wind. Eiko seemed ready to drop and even Garnet was beginning to look faint. It was a frightening thought each of them had that, if a Mist monster were to attack, they would be extremely unprepared . . .  
  
"Why - can't - we - find - that - bloody - ship?!" Lani shouted furiously as she turned her face away from an icy gust. Her voice fell flat on the howling storm. "We've searched everywhere but still no sign of the Indomitable!"  
  
"Quit complaining . . ." Amarant growled, bowing his head in the wind. Lani glared at him.  
  
"It has to be around here somewhere . . ." Zidane murmured determinedly, glancing nervously at Garnet. She nodded numbly, her eyes glassy.  
  
"M-maybe we should stop . . ." Vivi suggested from the security of Fratley's arms. The dragoon knight muttered in agreement, blinking snow from his eyes.  
  
"That's a good idea. We're all exhausted. We can't go on much further . . ."  
  
"Well we can't stop in the middle of nowhere!" Steiner retorted. "We'd get attacked in minutes!"  
  
"Kuja," Zidane hissed, turning towards his brother. "You have the best eyesight of any of us here; can you see anything up ahead?"  
  
Kuja, who looked strangely bored and annoyed as the snow gathered around his knees, squinted into the veil of white before his eyes.  
  
"There's a forest about a mile ahead . . ." he said slowly, frowning. "We could possibly get there within the hour . . ."  
  
Beatrix shrugged. "It's worth a shot,"  
  
Quina nodded excitedly. "Quina cook Zidane and friends big stew in forest! Replenish energy in no time!"  
  
No one seemed too thrilled at this comment but they were all too tired to respond.  
  
Indeed, it took about an hour to reach the forest. Once there, the crew noted the thickness of its barren trees and evergreens. It would be a worthy shelter while the blizzard died down. The trees, though devoid of leaves and bent into skeletal positions, were also numerous in number and nearly blocked out the storm completely. The forest floor was cleansed with patches of white, creamy snow, and small icicles hung from the evergreens as if a great hand had passed over the droplets of water, freezing them gracefully in their descent. The forest was dark, yet sparkling with ice. It was rather pretty in a strange, different sort of way.  
  
"Thank heavens we're out of that storm . . ." Freya exclaimed gratefully, pushing back her wide-brimmed hat. "I thought we were all going to catch our deaths out there!"  
  
"Freya, don't talk like that," Garnet pleaded, though she, too, seemed relieved to be within the forest.  
  
"We should probably go deeper," Beatrix commented, squinting into the glittering darkness. "Let's get out of harm's way before we rest. Vivi, can you walk?"  
  
Vivi nodded, straightening his hat with embarrassment. Fratley, smiling, lowered the little mage to the ground.  
  
"Hey Kuja," Zidane whispered, beckoning his brother to his side. "I'm not the only one here who feels the . . . presence . . . in the forest, am I?"  
  
"You mean that tingling feeling like something really bad is about to happen?"  
  
"Yeah, how'd you - oh. You too, huh?"  
  
Kuja nodded placidly, crystalline eyes gazing into the trees as they moved along. "I've sensed it for miles. There's evil within this forest . . . We'd best be on the lookout,"  
  
However, unbeknownst to them, a specter watched the crew silently from the trees. It's silver eyes narrowed and it laughed its tinkling laugh.  
  
". . . The lookout is on you . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Chikara reporting, sir,"  
  
Garland stared down his pointed nose as the muscular young man lowered himself to one knee before his master's feet. Several other geonomes mimicked Chikara as well and bent themselves gracefully, bowing.  
  
"This had better be good, Chikara," Garland drawled. "If you have come simply to tell me Fubuki has not agreed to aid us and my teleporters have not returned . . ."  
  
"These . . . are the teleporters," Chikara admitted, blushing. "Or at least some of them," The teleporters murmured slightly in response but otherwise didn't move from their crouched positions. Among the geonome hierarchy, some geonomes had adapted better to certain qualities. A select few of the people had developed amazing teleporting skills; some were even able to teleport to other continents. Those were the geonomes that bowed before Garland's blackened throne.  
  
"And was their mission successful?" Garland queried. Chikara nodded hesitantly.  
  
"Yes, sir. The genomes were rounded up immediately from the Black Mage Village. But sir, if I may comment . . ." Garland nodded and Chikara continued. "The black mages are 'aware' now as well . . . Should we not capture them too?"  
  
Garland smirked as if mocking Chikara's naivety. "The black mages are useless to my plan . . . They are simple creations of Kuja; a creation himself. They are foolish creatures, trusting, simple . . . When I have successfully assimilated Gaia and Terra, I want them killed immediately. No questions asked,"  
  
"And the genomes, sir?"  
  
Garland chuckled. "Let them enjoy the time they have. Nothing can be done until Drakja returns. You are to gather the finest geonomes and go seek him out yourself. Help him kill Kuja's companions and you will be rewarded,"  
  
Chikara nodded silently.  
  
Beside Garland's throne, a German Shepard lay curled upon the floor and licking the wounds that tore its leg. At Garland's command, the dog growled sharply. Before their very eyes, it transformed back into a woman, each part melting fluidly into the humanoid form. It was Lulian, and she did not look happy.  
  
"Garland, sir, please allow me to accompany Chikara on this mission. I have been out of commission for so long, please let me avenge my absence on the one who injured me!"  
  
Garland shook his head, no. Her wounds were not yet healed. He would need Lulian later, of course. But at the moment she was useless. Lulian, though in her geonome form, pulled her heavily painted lips off her teeth in a low growl. They distinctly heard her mutter "this sucks" before she reverted into the German Shepard and resumed nursing her wounds.  
  
"Chikara, you must get ready," said Garland softly. "Don't let Drakja fail,"  
  
Chikara nodded, rising from the floor.  
  
"It is done . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
As the crew wandered deeper into the forest, the trees became closer together and the area became drenched in darkness. Despite this, the glittering of ice lit their path and made the forest look like a sparkling, ethereal palace. However, it was obvious at this point that the ice was unnatural . . . Though the group was too tired to dwell much on it, the thought still lingered on their hearts.  
  
The team remained in relative silence throughout the trip. Their feet dragged as they bowed their heads in exhaustion. Suddenly, Kuja stopped.  
  
"Eh? Kuja, what is it?"  
  
Kuja's eyes were narrowed angrily and he seemed to be staring up into the trees. Zidane was becoming concerned.  
  
"Kuja, what's wrong?"  
  
The warlock pressed a finger to his lips to quiet the younger boy. He jerked his head in the direction he was looking, signalling for Zidane's eyes to follow his gaze.  
  
Zidane cocked his head, frowning. "Kuja, I don't see . . ."  
  
Zidane was interrupted by a low, jingling laugh that made the team's skin crawl. There was a flash of something in the trees and instinctively everyone reached for their weapons.  
  
"You fools have wandered into the wrong forest . . ." a sinister, seductive female voice murmured from above them. It echoed amongst the trees and filled the forest with a powerful, cold aura.  
  
"Who is it?!" Steiner shouted angrily, holding the Excalibur II tightly in his grasp. "Show yourself!"  
  
"Come closer, then . . ." the voice responded.  
  
The crew hesitated, exchanging uncertain glances with each other. Finally, they turned questioningly to Kuja, whose tail was thrashing the ground irritably. He nodded, allowing them to go further. Tentatively, the team crept deeper into the trees. Doubt was written all over their faces, but they were willing to take on any challenge.  
  
They gasped, however, at the sight that met them next. Planted within a large clearing in the forest and rising ghostly and tall above the heads of the team was an imperial throne of ice. It's base was of a thousand crystals and its chiseled form was glittering with the light of a million stars. The team could only gape in awe, struck dumb by the towering castle of ice. And perched gracefully at the top and gazing down upon them was a woman.  
  
Of course, she was no ordinary woman. Her skin was a ghostly white and gave off a mysterious glow. Her hair, which was a glittering silver, was pulled back into a long, trailing ponytail sprinkled with flecks of ice. She was tall and slim, and wearing very little despite the cold. She looked almost eerily like Shiva, but there was something different about her. Something evil . . .  
  
"Who are you?!" Zidane demanded, holding his daggers where the woman could see them. She chuckled at his feeble attempt to appear threatening.  
  
"My name is Fubuki," the woman murmured softly. "But you may call me your death,"  
  
"Ugh . . . clichés . . ." Amarant growled, glaring up at Fubuki through his mass of red hair. "I HATE people who speak in clichés . . ."  
  
"Well that's too bad," the woman sighed, cradling a ball of ice between her fingers. "Because your hatred may become your downfall tonight . . ."  
  
"Who are you?!" Beatrix demanded. "I am General Beatrix of the Alexandrian army and I demand an explanation,"  
  
"Ah, so you are from Alexandria?" Fubuki queried in her tinkling voice. "Well, seeing as how Alexandria is not even on this continent, you have no authority over me. But I am feeling generous today . . . My name is Fubuki and I am the queen of this forest. I have killed greater men then yourselves and I will not cease to do so again,"  
  
"She is a snow monster," Kuja said simply, gazing placidly at Fubuki. "Nothing more. A creation of Garland's, no less, and one which I accompanied to Gaia when he left her here . . ."  
  
The group's eyes widened at this comment but Kuja didn't seem to notice. Fubuki, on the other hand, cocked her head with curiosity.  
  
"You were that little whelp?" she said softly, laughing. "Why, Garland spoke nothing but curses about you . . . But . . . did he not say you would be dead by now? How old are you . . . twenty-eight?"  
  
"Twenty-seven," Kuja corrected coldly.  
  
"Will you let us leave in peace?" Garnet pleaded, forcing eye-contact with the snow monster. Fubuki laughed.  
  
"Let you leave in peace?! Are you fools?! I was told by the tailed man to kill you all!"  
  
"Damnit . . . Garland . . ." Zidane huffed, smacking a fist into his hand. "Looks like we have no choice but to fight you, eh?"  
  
Fubuki smiled. "I'm glad you finally see things my way . . . PREPARE YOURSELVES!!!"  
  
And thus began the battle that would change their lives forever . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Come on!"  
  
"Get outta here!"  
  
"Move it!"  
  
The Indomitable had become filled with the angry shouts of geonomes and the threatening crack of the whips. On the deck, a slow, mournful procession was making its way onto the ship.  
  
Chikara cackled as he watched the disturbing parade of people. "Excellent, Cho," he addressed a female geonome standing in the main entrance. "I don't think you missed a single one . . ."  
  
Cho smiled coldly, brushing back a strand of mahogany hair, which was highlighted with red.  
  
"The genomes were easy prey . . . They still believe in obeying orders, though I must say a few put up a bit of a struggle . . ."  
  
Chikara nodded, gazing on as dozens of genomes shuffled their feet up the main bridge. Their hands were tightly bound and their faces and bodies cut from the whips of their captors. The poor creature's tails hung miserably on the floor and their heads were bowed in sadness.  
  
"Take them to the lower dungeons!" Chikara yelled over the heads of Cho's teleporting geonome squad. "Keep them in the cells until Drakja returns!" he turned to address Cho. "Watch them for a moment. I'm going to go remove the Summoner-wench from The Whipping Pit,"  
  
Cho nodded and immediately began shouting commands. "C'mon! Don't let them slow down! Damn it, pick that genome up!"  
  
Chikara raced deeper into the ship until he had finally found the accursed room. When he had successfully punched in the lock code and waited for the door to slide open with its steamy hiss, he stepped blatantly into the room.  
  
"Alright, girl," he muttered. "I'm taking you to the lower dungeons. Lucky for you, I'm going to be gone for a few days. Try to recuperate while I'm absent," He smiled coldly.  
  
Megan hung limply in her chains, seemingly asleep; possibly dead. Blood streamed down her arms and across her back, but still she showed no signs of pain. Silently, her eyes opened and she remained motionless and lax as Chikara removed her bindings.  
  
With the final click, Megan slumped to the floor. For a moment she lay there, unmoving. Then, with a cry like a wounded animal, she lashed out with one foot and kicked Chikara in the shin. He stumbled backwards, caught off guard, and made a frantic grab for the short-haired girl.  
  
But it was too late. She was already making a run for it.  
  
"Damn you, you Summoner-whore!" Chikara screamed as he tore furiously from the room. Megan looked fearfully over her shoulder and then broke into a panicked run. Oh boy, was she in for it this time . . . Her feet were already throbbing with pain.  
  
"Morons, catch her!" Chikara cried as Megan flew past a group of geonomes, knocking them unceremoniously to the floor. The minions blinked stupidly for several seconds before scrambling to their feet to chase the prisoner.  
  
Megan ran through dozens of tunnels and rooms, down countless halls, and passageways. She hadn't realized a ship could be so big! Already the deactivated Summoner could feel her body slowing with fatigue. Her breath was coming in short gasps and a cramp had formed in her side.  
  
"D-damn it . . .!"  
  
She saw a room nearby with a large, gleaming metal door. It looked like some kind of boiler room. Megan raced towards it and began yanking hard on the handle like a trapped animal. She managed to wrench it open, but some sort of lock held the door only slightly ajar. With a cry of frustration, Megan stumbled backwards, breathing hard.  
  
". . . No . . .!"  
  
". . .Who . . .?"  
  
Megan froze. There was a pair of violent purple eyes in the crack of the door, staring at her in surprise. The Summoner clutched onto the door handle, sobbing.  
  
"Please . . . Please let me in . . ." Tears poured, unbidden, down her cheeks. "Please . . . Help me . . ."  
  
A soft, female voice came from the other side of the door, and it sounded regretful. "I can't . . . The door's locked . . ."  
  
Megan slid down the cool, metal wall, clutching onto the steel and crying. She could hear nothing but the other woman's breathing. Then the storm of footsteps came and Megan leapt to her feet in fear.  
  
"No! No!"  
  
They were on her in minutes. The geonomes seized her roughly by the arms and threw the prisoner to the floor, yanking on her hair. Megan screamed as they began to drag her towards the basement stairs.  
  
"No!" she screamed. "No, I can't summon! My horn - they cut it; it's gone! Please!"  
  
As her voice faded out down the hallway, the woman with the purple eyes stared, horrified, through the gap in the door, reliving what she had just seen.  
  
"No . . . It couldn't be . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Zidane and his comrades scattered as a blaze of ice crystals flew in their direction. Zidane, a bit slow on the uptake, stumbled as one of the cold daggers pierced his shoulder. Skidding to a halt, he got into an attack stance. The rest of the crew followed suit.  
  
"Kuja!" Beatrix shouted. "Can you use magic?!"  
  
Kuja responded by summoning a surprisingly large Firaga. But rather than hitting the enemy, Kuja aimed the fiery blaze at the base of Fubuki's throne. Immediately a pool of water began to crush the snow as the ice tower sagged into the flames. Fubuki leapt from her perch just in time to watch the last of her beautiful throne revert to water.  
  
"Bah . . . Tactless . . ." she simpered, turning her crystalline eyes onto Kuja. He smiled wryly and charged. The rest of the team did so as well.  
  
Soon, the group was slashing, clawing, and parrying as they tried desperately to take down the snow-monster. But Fubuki was lightning fast and she dodged away from the mess of attackers immediately.  
  
"Vivi, get her!" Garnet cried, turning to the rather exhausted black mage. Vivi nodded, small flames gathering in his fingers. But he was too slow and Fubuki unleashed a hail of ice-balls in his direction. Freya managed to grab Vivi and leap into the air just in time. The ice balls smacked into the snow and cracked the ground below. The team gaped in awe.  
  
Fubuki simply smirked, flipping one of the small weapons in her hands.  
  
"You can't defeat me . . . You are ants compared to my power . . ."  
  
"Shut up!" Lani shrieked, pulling her axe back and lunging at her nemesis. She brought the glimmering weapon screaming through the air and the team covered their eyes, expecting to see their enemy's head rolling in the snow. Fubuki yawned and grabbed the axe by its blade. A small trickle of silvery blood ran down her palm but she ignored it. Fubuki flashed Lani a quick smile at the sight of the girl's startled face and then flung her through the air like a rag-doll; axe and all. Amarant caught Lani, much to the bandit's dismay.  
  
"Let go of me . . ." she demanded, glaring up at the red-headed man. Amarant shrugged and dropped Lani on her butt, making her shriek in frustration. Fubuki laughed.  
  
"Not much cooperation among this team now, is there?" she queried in a mocking tone. "Gracious me . . . How did you people ever think you stood a chance?"  
  
"We'll defeat you yet!" Eiko snarled, holding a flute to her lips. The crew immediately pulled back in preparation for the Summon. Fubuki looked bored. Eiko closed her eyes, a sharp undulating tune emanating from the tiny instrument.  
  
The ground began to split and a steady crack ran from Eiko's feet towards Fubuki. The snow-monster didn't move, though the seam went between her bare feet. Beams of cold blue light shot from Gaia's core and the crack began to widen. Understanding the full power of the Guardian Forces, Eiko's comrades backed up further. Typically during this Summon, a massive creature arose from the ground with a large silver wolf perched atop its head. This time, however, a mournful howl rose through the air. The sky darkened, momentarily revealing the blood red orb that was Terra and the white moon that lay nestled in the stars beside it. Then the large, blue- gray form of Fenrir charged from the planet itself, gnashing its teeth and snapping its jaws hungrily. Eiko lowered the flute, smiling coldly at Fubuki.  
  
"Fenrir, kill her,"  
  
The large wolf charged through the air as if on wings and at its silent command, enormous earthen stakes arose, trembling, from the snow. Fubuki lightly leapt above them dodging each of the deadly spears. Then she landed silently on the snow, looking smug.  
  
"Dratted wolf . . . Fenrir, sit!"  
  
She pointed a finger at the great Summon and whistled. A glow emanated from her hand and suddenly Fenrir jerked as if in pain and began to thrash wildly in the snow. He seemed to be struggling against a powerful force that was trying to pull him down. Eiko, realizing Fenrir's life was in danger, waved a hand and he was gone. Fubuki looked extremely proud of herself.  
  
"Do you see now?" she queried, annoyed. "Your silly little tricks cannot kill me. Nothing can . . . Only myself . . ."  
  
/Sh-she's not joking . . .!/ Zidane realized, horrified. /What is Fubuki's weakness?!/  
  
"Kuja, how much magic do you have left?!" the blonde genome yelled towards his brother, who stood calmly nearby. Kuja hesitated, then admitted he had very little. Garland's hold over his reserves was strong.  
  
"Shit," Zidane muttered. "Well, I guess I'll give it a shot . . . I didn't want to have to use this thing . . . But I guess I don't have a choice,"  
  
As Vivi kept Fubuki busy by hurling small flames at her (which she simply brushed away with a sweep of her hand) and Garnet began casting protective spells upon the party, Zidane pocketed his daggers and reached for the weapon strapped across his back. Kuja watched him silently. Little did they know what was sheathed beneath the warlock's cloak . . .  
  
"Ultima Weapon!" Zidane cried, raising the massive, double-sided scythe above his head. Several members of the group gasped, not having realized what weapon was within the sheathe upon Zidane's back. Freya, who was in mid-jump and holding her spear pointed straight down at Fubuki nearly dropped her weapon in surprise.  
  
Zidane charged, the blade gleaming in the cold, searing air, a cry arising from his lips. Fubuki, not having expected Zidane to come at her with such an enormously large weapon, pulled back and caught one of the blades with a large icicle. The two remained locked, their arms trembling. Though the icicle was cracking, Fubuki's strength kept Zidane in check. It dawned on everyone there that whomever backed down first would be the one to die.  
  
"D-die already!" Zidane choked out, baring down upon the snow-monster. Fubuki snarled angrily.  
  
"You first!" she spat back. Suddenly, the snow-monster's eyes widened in fear and the icicle shattered. She leapt high into the air causing Zidane to stumble forwards. Zidane gasped as a blade whizzed out of nowhere at his feet, right where Fubuki had been standing. It was a thin blade, but the longest one he'd ever seen in his entire life. The genome looked up just in time to see Kuja standing calmly a few feet away, pulling the sword back to his side.  
  
"My apologies . . ." he said slowly. "I am not as skilled at the blade as you are; my timing was off . . ."  
  
Beatrix then asked the question that was on everyone else's mind. "Kuja, where the HELL did you get that enormous sword?!"  
  
Kuja didn't respond, simply pulled the blade back into an attacking position, frowning. "Zidane, seeing as how you are far more superior at the use of swords than I am, please accompany me in the killing of this pest,"  
  
Zidane stared at Kuja in confusion for a moment before a smile broke across his lips. "Sure thing, big brother . . ."  
  
And there they stood, the two sons of Garland, each poised with a blade as long as their own bodies. The genome's faces held a strange confidence as if their partnership was the deciding factor in their victory. Kuja, though having not wielded a sword in almost fifteen years, seemed wizened and experienced in the art. He would not, however, admit that the sword had come from the woman he had come to loathe . . .  
  
Fubuki's eyes narrowed dangerously and her slim form tensed in preparation. Zidane chuckled.  
  
"Come and get it!"  
  
Then the two brothers charged, slashing skillfully at their nemesis. Fubuki dodged their attacks, but just barely. Frustrated, the snow-monster leapt high into the air.  
  
"Damn you!" she cried, forming a large ice-spear in her hand and throwing it down upon her enemies. Zidane swung the Ultima blade through the dagger, shattering the ice into a thousand tiny fragments. As he did so, Kuja summoned a crackling Thundaga, forcing Fubuki out of the air. She landed lightly in the snow, glowering with rage.  
  
"Do not mock me!" she shrieked, pointing an accusing finger at the pair. The Shiva-like creature glanced up at a tall, looming cliff nearby. Fubuki seemed to be looking for something. Kuja's eyes narrowed suspiciously.  
  
"Don't look away!" Beatrix cried, suddenly lunging at Fubuki with Save the Queen. As if on cue, the rest of the party charged. Fubuki, outnumbered, parried with one of her seemingly endless icicles. Unfortunately, the crew had pushed too far. Fubuki, enraged, dropped all tact. Now was her time for vengeance . . .  
  
Her eyes darted angrily around at her enemies. She saw Vivi preparing another fire attack off to the side. Fubuki dodged Fratley's spear and suddenly threw herself at the little black mage. She shoved him into the snow and, using the momentum from the attack, propelled herself back into the air. Vivi, stunned, coughed and struggled to get back to his feet. Freya ran to help the small mage up when Fubuki shot down upon the Dragoon Knight like an arrow and cut the woman across the arm with an ice-spear. Freya cried out, falling backwards. Desperately, the Dragoon Knight kicked out at the snow-monster. Unfortunately, Fubuki had her pinned her to her back and, before anyone could stop her, she had slammed a powerful Blizzaga attack straight into Freya's chest. The rat-like woman cried out and then fell limp. Fubuki sprang off her victim with victory shining in her crystalline eyes.  
  
Now the tables had turned. Delighted with her victory over the Dragoon Knight, within minutes Fubuki had managed to exhaust nearly the entire crew. Garnet was crouched in the snow, clutching at her bleeding arm. Amarant had a gash across his face and the rest of the team was almost too tired to stand. Beatrix dropped to her knees, breathing hard.  
  
"Sh-she's t-too damn FAST!" the general gasped, glaring up at the tall, silvery woman. Fubuki put her hands on her hips smugly, glancing around at the challengers.  
  
"You're all giving up already?! But I was hoping for a REAL fight!"  
  
/We can't beat her . . ./ Zidane reasoned, kneeling on one knee as he fought to get his breath back. Kuja stood nearby, holding the large Masamune ready in case Fubuki thought of attacking. His eyes were glazed with exhaustion.  
  
"We can't beat her . . ." he mumbled unintelligently, mimicking his brother's fevered thoughts.  
  
"That's right," Fubuki said, smiling. "I am unstoppable. I TOLD you! Nothing can kill me but myself! And believe me, suicide is the last thing on my to-do list. Now who shall I take out first . . .?"  
  
Her eyes traveled from face to tired face. "Should I kill the knight? No, his armor is rusted solid from the snow. That would be no fun," Steiner glared angrily but wouldn't admit he was frozen stiff. "What about the vermin? No, no . . . I have already defeated one; the other is too weak to rise. The bandits are both injured, the genderless Qu is knocked out cold, the queen is bleeding to death, the general is handicapped - and I certainly have more sense than to pick a fight with the great General Beatrix - and the puny little Summoner and mage are both too injured to be a fair battle. But . . . What about the genomes?"  
  
She turned to face the two young men, her eyes glittering with delight. "I would find much joy in taking out the first Angel of Death, but alas . . . I was ordered to spare his life. So I'm afraid my little silver-haired fool must live. I regret to say that leaves only you," she said softly to Zidane. "Come, will you not fight me?"  
  
Zidane, growling, began to rise. But before he had even lifted his sword, Fubuki had smacked him squarely across the face, hurling him backwards. Zidane skidded into the snow, crying out, and then lay still. Garnet weakly murmured his name but could not summon the strength go to him. It was amazing that, with only a few simple sweeps, Fubuki had turned the infamous crew from an unstoppable fighting machine to a band of novices unable to even shout out in anger.  
  
Fubuki smiled coldly, standing above Zidane's body. He stirred, glaring up at her.  
  
"N-no fair . . ." he muttered thickly. Fubuki laughed, and an impossibly large icicle formed from thin air within her fingers.  
  
"And is it so fair that you pitted twelve against one?! Do not speak to me about fairness! Now . . . is the time to say your regrets for the life you will soon be leaving!"  
  
There was a maddened gleam in her eyes, the likes of which Zidane had seen only once before when Kuja had first Tranced and realized the full potential of his power. Fubuki lifted the deadly icicle above her head, laughing.  
  
"Goodbye, second son of Garland!"  
  
Garnet screamed as half her comrades cried out in horror. The ice whizzed through the air, glinting maliciously against the snow. Zidane closed his eyes.  
  
/Flash/  
  
"Alright then, Your Highness! I shall hereby do my best to kidnap you!"  
  
"The answer you seek may forever change your life for the worse."  
  
"I find this rain quite pleasant . . ."  
  
"She's asleep because she's tired. That's all . . ."  
  
"Heroic? Human? Those are just things people say after the fact. Why try to give meaning to what the main character of the story chose?"  
  
"Kuja used the waste product to make weapons. Weapons . . . like yourself."  
  
"Lives come and go all the time. What's the big deal?"  
  
"In order that our glorious history not die with us, we were constructed . . ."  
  
"Shut up! I'm not like him at all!"  
  
"I won't let this world exist without me!"  
  
"In a world of nothing, fear does not exist."  
  
"One day, you will choose destruction over existence."  
  
"No one's useless . . ."  
  
"I finally realized what it means to live . . ."  
  
"Bring my beloved Dagger to me!"  
  
"I wanted to come home to you. So . . . I sang our song."  
  
"I love you, Dagger . . ."  
  
/Flash/  
  
A cry had filled the air like the sound of a strangled animal. Zidane felt something soft brush his skin and he opened his eyes nervously. Then he literally screamed in horror.  
  
Quina, blood streaming down his back, stumbled in the snow. He was pinning something to the ground and snarling most unlike himself.  
  
"You!" he shouted, sticking his face angrily into Fubuki's shocked one. "You bad person! I no let you take life of Quina's friend! I cook you good; spear you like chicken cabob!"  
  
Zidane jerked into a sitting position and gazed on in utter disbelief. The butt end of Fubuki's icicle was sticking bloodily from Quina's back but the front, which had burst through the Qu's stomach, was lodged in Fubuki's abdomen and gushing silvery blood. The scenario made sense immediately. Quina had leapt in front of Zidane, taking the blow for him, and then fell into Fubuki, impaling her with her own blade!  
  
Fubuki gasped in pain and surprise and managed to shove Quina off her ruined body. The Qu fell backwards and collapsed into the snow, too injured to move. Fubuki rose shakily to her feet, staring confusedly at the wound that was slowly spilling her life out into the thick, powdery snow. The ground was soaking in the molten silver of her blood.  
  
/Flash/  
  
I told you! Nothing can kill me but myself!  
  
/Flash/  
  
/Of course . . ./ Zidane thought suddenly, a light-bulb going on over his head. /Nothing we do can kill Fubuki. Nothing can kill her but her own weapons . . ./  
  
"N-no . . ."  
  
Her eyes rolled up into her head and as a gust of wind blew across the forest, Fubuki disintegrated into a million snowflakes and blew away in a flurry of ice.  
  
The snow-monster had been defeated . . .  
  
Zidane sat there, stunned. For a moment there was nothing but a numbing mist filling the hole within his mind. It had all been too much . . . too fast . . . Finally his brain went on fast forward and the genome turned roughly to the situation at hand.  
  
"Quina!" he called to the unmoving creature nearby. The Qu didn't even stir. The others watched apprehensively. Zidane frowned and crept slowly towards his comrade. During this time, Freya had awoken and, having missed the spectacle, was sitting up and staring dumbfounded at what lay a few feet away from her.  
  
"Quina . . ." Zidane repeated faintly, making it to the Qu's side and reaching out to touch his arm. It was always impossible to tell if Quina's eyes were open or not, but at that moment they seemed to reawaken. His tongue flapped slightly in response and he smiled.  
  
"Ah, Zidane . . . You no turn into chop suey . . ."  
  
Zidane could feel tears forming in his eyes as he spotted the icicle that stuck like a flag-pole from Quina's stomach. Sniffling, the genome quickly held them back.  
  
"N-no . . . I'm not chop suey . . . thanks to you . . ."  
  
"Ay, I become shish cabob instead!" Quina laughed. Zidane could feel warm bile rising in his throat.  
  
"Quina . . . You can't die . . ." he murmured softly. The Qu simply laughed.  
  
"Zidane I fulfill quest! I try food in many places! I even try food on other planet!" Zidane chuckled sadly, wiping at his eyes. "I said I cook you big feast but Quina think saving you from barbecuing a thousand times better meal!"  
  
"Please, Quina . . ." Zidane pleaded. "This isn't a complete victory if one of us dies . . ."  
  
"Is complete victory!" Quina said forcefully, his voice growing fainter by the second as his blood spilled into the snow. "Snow-lady is gone! Is complete victory! Zidane, I . . . I so happy . . ."  
  
And Quina spoke no more . . .  
  
A heavy silence descended upon the team. No one dared move. Kuja, who had been the only one still standing, was staring coldly at the corpse. To the others he seemed not to feel sadness for the loss. But it was quite the opposite. Kuja was becoming fearful. He glanced up at the cliff-side and, as he had expected, the warlock spotted two pairs of glimmering green eyes looking down upon them from such a height that they were four emerald pin- pricks in the coming darkness.  
  
Geonomes . . .  
  
Kuja recalled how Fubuki had glanced up the mountainside. She'd been expecting them. Not wanting any more casualties, he hurriedly said,  
  
"Let's bury the Qu quick,"  
  
"Have you no compassion?!" Steiner shrieked, rising angrily to his feet. "Quina was a dear comrade who has been with us since nearly the beginning!"  
  
Kuja turned stoically towards the knight. He didn't want to frighten them with what he'd seen. "I understand that . . ." he said slowly. "But we can't just dawdle here. That's what they want . . ." he added as an after- thought.  
  
"Give us time to mourn!" Freya cried furiously, staring daggers into Kuja. "Is your heart really so caked in ice?!"  
  
Kuja's eyes narrowed slightly. He seemed about to say something but Zidane was already rising to his feet.  
  
"We will bury Quina in the snow for now and come back to give him a proper burial later . . . Kuja's right, this is dangerous . . . But first . . . I- I think we should have a moment of silence . . . For one of the first of our companions . . ."  
  
The others nodded numbly. Eiko and Garnet were crying softly. Lani, though too tough for tears, was sniffling lightly.  
  
They bowed their heads in silence, locked in steady prayer. Even Amarant remained respectively silent for his comrade. Kuja closed his eyes sadly . . .  
  
And as the sun began to set heavily behind the mountains, the team that had now been reduced to eleven mourned silently for their loss . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: No . . . QUINA!!! *sob* It's so sad! Gah, that was so EVIL!!! Of course, now I have to give a good reason for taking the life of a main cast member, right? Fine. Here goes . . . See, in my opinion this fic wasn't . . . personal . . . enough for the main characters. I mean, the Final Fantasy IX characters were out to kill Garland just to save the world. It wasn't . . . personal. I mean, in Final Fantasy IX, it was personal because there was a direct threat to Zidane's friends and the villain was his brother and all that. But in this fic, it was just one of those "save the world for the people" kinda plots. Well, now it's not. Now it's a "do it for the life of our dead comrade!" types of plots. You know, one of those stories where something happens and the main character says all dramatically and crap: "Now . . . Now it's personal!" Heh. And I wanted Quina to have a noble death. I mean, I didn't want him to die like the idiot he always seemed in the game *sweatdrop* I mean, the thing pretty much sacrificed himself for his friends . . . That was pretty cool of him. I'll admit, I always kinda liked Quina. I didn't kill him 'cause he was annoying or anything. I mean, he was always so silly and friendly, like a sweet presence during the game. My favorite scene was definitely when Quina says "Ooh, flower smell good!" or something like that, and then says "Ooh, flower taste good too!" And then Freya says something to the affect of "Quina does whatever s/he wants, doesn't he?" (she seriously said "he" the second time) and Zidane responds with a rather sarcastic "I don't think it's intentional." I loved that . . . Poor Quina-sama. I say we should all have a moment of silence for Quina *sniffle* He had a good run . . . And his memory will live on in the story. TO SPUR ON THE CREW'S NEED FOR VENGEANCE, BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!  
  
RREEAADD AANNDD RREEVVIIEEWW!! (Next chapter's a MAJOR cliffy! Probably one of the biggest EVER!!! I'm feeling SO evil this week . . .) 


	31. Momoku Part 1: The Shot

A/N: This chapter's . . . EVEN LONGER THAN THE LAST ONE *scream* !!! Almost twenty friggin pages! Dang it . . . Not much to say today . . . I'm on break, so I might be able to post faster ^_^ Thanks for the reviews! Oh, and be warned: Drakja's got a foul mouth in this chapter, teehee. And it's a CLIFFHANGER!!!  
  
Disclaimer: It's the holiday season . . . I asked to own Final Fantasy . . . But NO!  
  
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"That man can destroy life is just as miraculous a feat as that he can create it, for life is the miracle, the inexplicable. In the act of destruction, man sets himself above life; he transcends himself as a creature. Thus, the ultimate choice for a man, inasmuch as he is driven to transcend himself, is to create or to destroy, to love or to hate."  
  
- Erich Fromm, "The Sane Society"  
  
The sun seemed to wobble in the sky as it began its mournful descent towards the horizon. The heat that burned from its fiery form did nothing to penetrate the eternal snows of the Forgotten Continent. The land remained caked in infinite ice with the exception of Triss's Forest. Deep in the heart of the snow-monster Fubuki's forest the heroes of Gaia stood with their heads bowed in silence. Nothing seemed able to break the stillness just as the sun tried in vain to crack through the snow.  
  
"You know . . . In all the years I knew Quina . . . I always thought he was stupid,"  
  
The crew's heads snapped up in surprise to see Zidane standing a few feet from his comrade's dead body, an ironic smile plastered to his face.  
  
"Zidane what are you - ?"  
  
The genome laughed. "I can't believe I never saw it before!" The team obviously seemed to think their leader had lost his mind with grief. Zidane was laughing and near tears at the same time. "Don't you see?! All those years that Quina stood by we thought he didn't understand what was going on! I was so sure he was just there for food; that he had no clue even what the threat to Gaia was! But now I know . . . Quina always understood. He always knew. He was always there . . . fighting besides us . . . But now, no more . . ."  
  
Garnet bit her lip sympathetically. "Zidane, I know you're grieving but - "  
  
"No," Zidane shook his head, a shaky smile upon his face. "No, I'm happy! All the years I thought we meant nothing to Quina . . . Now I see . . ."  
  
Beatrix, who had barely known Quina, cocked her head curiously at Freya who was frowning.  
  
"He's right . . ." the Burmecian said softly. Zidane sniffled, chuckling.  
  
"C'mon guys . . . Let's give the poor fool a decent burial until we can come back. How's this? We'll come back for Quina's body and return it to the Qus after this is all over; after we've won! When we are victorious we will return, as Quina would have wanted . . ."  
  
There was a moment of hesitation in which the team remained silent. Eiko was the first to speak.  
  
"That's a GREAT idea!" she shouted determinedly. "We'll come back to give Quina the news of our victory after we've kicked Garland's ugly butt!"  
  
Vivi nodded, eyes bright. The others were smiling slowly, even laughing. And in that moment, a unity was formed between the team; a bond that couldn't even be broken by the finality of death. In that moment, they were one.  
  
"We'll kill Garland to avenge the Qu!" Fratley laughed, leaning against his spear. Everyone was smiling.  
  
"Vivi, would you do the honors?" Zidane queried, signalling towards the snow. Vivi blinked with confusion for a moment and then, understanding, nodded. Murmuring a small command, the mage sent a blast of flames to burn the ground. The snow retreated into a thick, slushy water. Fratley and Steiner then lifted Quina's body and lowered him gently into the snowy grave. They removed the icicle from his body (which Vivi burned promptly) and covered the Qu in the snow. Their hope was, of course, that the freeze would keep Quina's body in fairly good condition until they returned.  
  
If they returned . . .  
  
Kuja, as was typical, stayed as far from the others as possible. His thoughts were elsewhere. While the death of the Qu was tragic (he, himself, remembered battling the pest years before and had always admired the creature's rather strange courage) at the moment he was growing concerned. Why were there geonomes in the forest? And why had Garland ordered Fubuki to kill all the crew but himself? Were the geonomes there to retrieve him? Or something worse . . .?  
  
" - Kuja, yo!"  
  
"Wha - ?" Kuja turned around, surprised.  
  
"Have you been listening at all?!" Lani snarled, glaring. Kuja scratched his head.  
  
"Uh, not really . . ." he said truthfully. The crew sighed.  
  
"We're saying we might have to leave the continent!" Steiner shouted in frustration.  
  
"What? Why?"  
  
"Because . . ." Beatrix said slowly. "The temperatures in this area have dropped considerably. By night-fall, the temperatures will become lethal . . . We still haven't found the ship . . . We may have to retreat back to Alexandria,"  
  
Much to their surprise, Kuja smiled.  
  
"Excellent idea," he said happily. Anything to get them away from the geonomes was a good idea. One death was enough . . . ". . .When shall we go?"  
  
Garnet's eye was twitching angrily. "You jerk!" she cried furiously. "You're so selfish! Doesn't this mission mean anything to you?! What about our vengeance for our friend?! What about killing Garland?! What about MEGAN?!!"  
  
Kuja snorted. "Feh. We've lost one tonight already . . . Would you care to make it more?"  
  
"Yes!" Steiner barked. "You! YOU'RE the one that doesn't want to die! Just as long as YOU'RE okay, it's cool, but if the WORLD'S life is at stake it's not worth it!"  
  
Kuja flinched. His eyes flashed red for the briefest of moments and every member of the team stiffened with fear. Luckily, however, Kuja caught himself and settled for shaking a menacing fist at the knight.  
  
"You misunderstand me, you rusted old fool!" Steiner jerked with surprise. "Do not forget that I have been bred with the senses of the great Saishoja himself! I have sensed the evil in this forest even after Fubuki's death! We are in the most dangerous place on Gaia at this very moment and every second brings us a step closer to death! If you wish to die, then stay, but if you don't mind - " the warlock stopped mid-sentence. He seemed to be sniffing the air. Then he threw a furious punch at Steiner. "You IDIOT!!! They're here!"  
  
"What?"  
  
Kuja whipped around, glaring up at the cliff. The same pair of eyes was upon them once more.  
  
". . .Geonomes . . ."  
  
"He's a lunatic," Freya grumbled. "I say we camp out here tonight and continue the search tomorrow . . ."  
  
Kuja shook his head in defeat. /There's no getting through to them . . . We're in so much danger . . ./  
  
Kuja could only watch as the crew slung their packs into the snow and began to settle down for the night . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Alright, alright . . . Come on . . ."  
  
"Let GO OF ME!!!" Megan screamed, wrenching her arm from the geonome's grasp. "Don't TOUCH ME!!!"  
  
The geonome, a male she didn't recognize, snarled and smacked the girl to the floor. "Shut your mouth, wench! You will do as you are told!"  
  
"Aw, lay off the bitch, will ya?" another geonome snapped from down the hall. It was a female who was leading a curious cloaked woman in the opposite direction. The woman's hood obscured her downcast face, but at that moment she lifted her head and blinked with unnatural violet eyes.  
  
/That woman from before!/ both prisoners thought simultaneously.  
  
"Don't tell me what to do!" Megan's geonome shouted angrily, giving Megan a good jerk while he was at it. The female geonome stuck her tongue out. That did it. Megan's geonome threw his captive to the floor and stormed towards his opponent. The Summoner sat there stunned for a moment and then heard someone hissing towards her.  
  
"Wha - ?"  
  
The purple-eyed woman had managed to squirm her way out of her guard's grasp and was huddled against the wall, signalling for Megan to come closer. Nodding, the brunette got down on her hands and knees and crawled over to the woman. She listened carefully to the argument above, making sure neither geonome noticed they'd released their prisoners.  
  
"You're always telling me what to do, Megumi!"  
  
"Nuh uh! You're the one who sucks up to every damn beta that comes by, Shrift!"  
  
"You callin' me an omega?"  
  
"You accusin' me a callin' you an omega?"  
  
"You wanna a piece a me?"  
  
"Wanna mess?"  
  
"BRING IT ON!!!"  
  
The two geonomes then tumbled into each other, clawing and biting like savage animals. Occasionally one would transform into a hawk or something and then back again, tearing at the other's flesh. Megan ignored the pair and quickly moved in next to the other prisoner.  
  
"What is it?" the Summoner queried. The purple-eyed woman was studying the girl's face carefully.  
  
"Are you . . . the daughter of the Yorokobi . . .?"  
  
Megan blinked in shock. "Y-yes I am! Or . . . I was. They're dead,"  
  
"Dead? But Ummei said - "  
  
The purple-eyed woman gasped, clapping a hand over her mouth. "You poor thing!" she exclaimed. "You have no idea! Honey, a friend of mine went to your mother and grandmother in Conde Petie and got them out of the settlement before the attack! Your family's fine!"  
  
" . . . What . . .?" /Impossible!/  
  
The woman nodded, then looked serious. "But if they have you . . ."  
  
"I told you, I can't summon!" Megan cried, then blushed because she remembered there were two grappling geonomes nearby. "I was deactivated as a child, but the geonomes don't know it!"  
  
The purple-eyed woman cringed. "You poor, poor thing . . . You knew Kuja, didn't you?"  
  
Megan's eyes narrowed. "That jerk . . . Don't talk about him in front of me!"  
  
The woman bit her lip. "I'm scared for him and all your friends. If Garland managed to get his hands on you . . . Who knows what he could do . . ."  
  
"Who cares?!" Megan cried. "Kuja's an ass! We'd be better off without him!"  
  
The purple-eyed woman looked somewhat hurt but didn't respond. She hesitated before whispering something so strange and so far-fetched that for a long time Megan was positive she'd misheard her.  
  
"I can hear him sometimes . . ." the woman murmured, closing her eyes as if overcome by a sudden weariness. "He cries out in his sleep and I can hear him . . . His guardian comes ever closer . . . But what if he's too late?"  
  
Megan didn't get a chance to respond. The two geonomes had finally calmed down and were lying in a gasping, panting heap upon the floor. Megumi threw Shrift angrily off her body and spat on him.  
  
"Serves you right!" she snapped, grabbing the purple-eyed woman roughly by her coat. "You sorry excuse for a geonome!"  
  
Shrift gave her the finger and, likewise, snagged Megan off the floor. The Summoner could only mutter a gloomy goodbye before the purple-eyed woman was led miserably in the opposite direction. The other prisoner, however, didn't return the gesture.  
  
She had been suddenly overcome with a burning, nauseating, and utterly overwhelming fear . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Hey Dart . . . I just thought of something . . ." Ummei said slowly.  
  
". . . That's a first . . . What?"  
  
"It's really cold here . . ."  
  
Dart stared in an aggravated manner down her nose at Ummei. He was lying completely on his stomach in the snow, peering down over the edge of a large cliff into a forest clearing. Fubuki's forest clearing . . .  
  
"So get out of the snow, idiot!" Dart snapped, growling. "Geez . . . How do I always get stuck with you?!" she continued to rant for several minutes. "Hundreds of geonomes . . . An entire continent . . . Drakja's left . . . All alone with you . . . dumber than the dead Qu . . ."  
  
Ummei was still processing the concept that it was the snow that was making him cold. Then, suddenly, he figured it out and stood up, brushing off his pants. He continued to stare down into the clearing.  
  
"Would you get away from there?!" Dart snapped, smacking Ummei across the back of the head. "They're not doing anything interesting!"  
  
"I don't care," Ummei retorted. "Garland told us to spy on the enemy, so that's what I'm gonna do . . ."  
  
"There's a difference between spying and stalking, Ummei," Dart sighed exasperatedly. "Besides, we're only supposed to watch and make sure Drakja doesn't screw up . . ."  
  
"Which he WILL . . ." Ummei scoffed. Dart laughed.  
  
"Yeah, as if YOU could do better . . ."  
  
"Hey, Drakja gave me permission to use the Metsubo if I had to and he didn't even MENTION it to you!"  
  
Dart's emerald-green eyes widened. "Wh . . .WHAT?!! Bu . . . but . . . NO FAIR!!!" She looked ready to cry. "No fair, no fair, no fair!!!"  
  
Ummei cackled with glee, then became bored and reverted to peering over the edge of the cliff again. Dart was too busy muttering violent oaths to herself to pay him any heed . . .  
  
Meanwhile, the sun continued to set. Soon, darkness would be upon them.  
  
And the curse of the winter's night . . .  
  
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"Geez, Kuja . . . You don't have to look THAT glum . . ."  
  
"Feh," Kuja looked away, grumbling. The other members of the team were too busy pawing through the supplies or taking care of the fire to notice Kuja's coldness. Only Zidane, being the warlock's brother, seemed somewhat concerned.  
  
". . . You wanna tell me what's on your mind . . .?"  
  
"No. You wouldn't listen anyways . . ." Zidane raised an eyebrow. Kuja sounded like a whiney little child . . .  
  
"Um, I'm listening right now . . ."  
  
Kuja folded his arms across his chest angrily. The cold was starting to annoy him and his cloak was already wet despite the rotting log he sat upon. Zidane waited, but when no response came he suddenly stood up from the snow and came to sit on the log beside his brother.  
  
"Hey Kuja. I was just wondering . . . What's your favorite color?"  
  
Kuja blinked, surprised, and looked curiously at the young blonde. "Why do you ask . . .?" he queried suspiciously.  
  
"I-I don't know," Zidane admitted. "It's weird but . . . I feel like if I don't bond with you some time soon . . . Then I'll never get the chance to again . . ."  
  
For some reason, Kuja felt like there was a cold knife tickling his spine. The statement scared him, though he couldn't quite figure out why. Had Zidane been feeling the same as him? That feeling that something really bad was going to happen that would irrevocably change their lives forever . . .?  
  
"I . . . I don't have a favorite color . . ." Kuja stumbled slowly. "Or at least . . . If I did, I never really thought about it . . ."  
  
"It should be silver," Zidane teased, laughing. "Since everything about you seems to be!"  
  
Kuja frowned. "Silver . . ." he murmured slowly. "Yes . . . Silver's a nice color,"  
  
Zidane couldn't help but smile. It was hard to believe that after being alive for more than nineteen years, he'd only known his brother for the greater part of seven. He really knew nothing of the man. Well sure, he knew about Kuja's past and what it was that made the guy tic . . . But he'd never even had the slightest inkling as to what Kuja truly felt beneath that stoic exterior of his. Kuja always seemed so aloof and alone; as if a cold blanket of ice had been wrapped around his body that none could penetrate. More than once, Zidane had found himself pondering what the world meant to Kuja. He didn't want to just understand Kuja's anger at the universe and the hurt he felt at his mistreatment. He wanted to know the deeper side of things. Zidane remembered vividly the time he and Kuja had spent alone on the Outer Continent after narrowly escaping the Iifa Tree. Kuja had scared him sometimes; crying out in his sleep as if in pain or suddenly collapsing to his knees and refusing to move for several minutes. Zidane wanted to know more than just Kuja . . .  
  
He wanted to know his brother . . .  
  
And lately the feeling had been returning; that his time with Kuja was short. Sure, he knew Kuja was supposed to be dead. But still . . . Kuja wasn't, was he? Did that mean he'd beaten the system? Or was something much worse at play . . .? Something bad was going to happen . . . He just knew it . . .  
  
Zidane's musings were broken by the topic's voice suddenly speaking in his ear.  
  
"I'm going to go get some more firewood, okay?"  
  
Zidane didn't even have to answer before Kuja stood up coldly and vanished through the trees. Zidane saw that several of the crew member's had noticed the warlock's departure but chose not to say anything. Zidane felt his tail bristling slightly with anger at everyone; Kuja included.  
  
Why couldn't they all just get along?!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kuja lingered as long in the trees as he could. The silence was something of a comfort as he gathered dry twigs from the forest-floor (which was difficult considering the snow). He couldn't help but think about what Zidane had said. Was it true? Was his time with his brother dwindling that quickly? Why was he so afraid of this . . .?  
  
On top of that, Kuja had a strange longing tugging at his heart. He wasn't sure what it was . . . Yet his thoughts drifted to Megan so often that sometimes the warlock wanted to scream as loud as he could until she was driven from his mind forever.  
  
Kuja was soon so lost in thought that it took him several minutes to feel the presence against his back. Kuja whipped around in surprise and saw for the briefest of moments, a flash of silver. For a second he thought it was Fubuki, somehow returned from the grave. But when he paused the memory in his mind he didn't see a woman, but a man. A man with silver hair and no eyes to speak of . . . At least . . . Kuja didn't see any. Then his own eyes went blind with darkness and he stumbled; overcome with panic.  
  
". . . What in the . . .?"  
  
Kuja stopped, a growl rising in his throat almost automatically. The mist cleared in his eyes and he knew immediately the scent of geonomes in the forest.  
  
/They're here . . .!/ he thought wistfully. Kuja pulled back, dropping the sticks he'd been carrying. They clattered, rolling, to the ground. /I've got to warn the others!/  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Drakja pressed his back against a tree, pushing himself flat against the trunk. He fumbled with the large gun tacked to his belt for a moment and then held it against his chest. Using his teeth, he ripped a piece of cloth from in his pocket and wiped the nozzle of the gun. Then, with a click, it was locked and loaded.  
  
". . . Phew . . ." Drakja breathed a sigh of relief. Soon, his mission on the continent would be over. So soon . . .  
  
". . . Sir?"  
  
Drakja blinked in surprise and looked up.  
  
"Chikara?" The muscular geonome nodded his head once and bowed. Dozens of other geonomes were appearing from the trees behind him. Drakja frowned. "What are you doing here . . .?"  
  
"We're assisting you, sir,"  
  
". . . Why . . .? I can do this myself . . ."  
  
Chikara glanced at some of the nearby geonomes. They refused to meet his emerald glance.  
  
"We're just making sure things run smoothly," Chikara said slowly, as if trying to calm a bristling tiger. "We'll help take down the others while you finish your job,"  
  
Drakja hesitated. "I-I guess that's reasonable . . . Alright, fine. But the first geonome that screws up will personally deal with me!"  
  
The geonomes gulped. Drakja was a force to be reckoned with when his alpha position was put it check.  
  
Drakja cocked his gun, chuckling. "Kuja's already gone to warn the others. I saw him a few minutes ago. We'll surround the area from the cliffs above them and while I shoot, you all will charge. Understood?"  
  
Chikara and his comrades nodded. Drakja smirked.  
  
"Good. Let's move out!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Zidane! Zidane!" Kuja cried, stumbling and slipping in the snow. The group members, who were seated, shivering, around a gentle fire, looked up in surprise at the usually calm warlock's urgent movements.  
  
"Kuja, what - ?" Zidane stood up, but Kuja raised a hand, shaking his head angrily.  
  
"No . . . No time for explanations . . . Geonomes . . . They're here!"  
  
Zidane's eyes widened with fear. "Geonomes?! How close?!"  
  
"Five minutes away!" Kuja shouted, pointing through the tree towards the rising snowy hills in the distance. "There's got to be at least fifty of them!"  
  
"Shit," Zidane cursed, turning back to the group. Steiner was a curious shade of crimson. Zidane glared at him. "Learned your lesson?" he queried coldly. "Will you listen to my brother from now on?" Steiner didn't respond, just stood up along with the others.  
  
"Come on, we'll make for the cliffs," Beatrix instructed, pointing through the trees to where the forest dropped off into an empty plain. Outside the mass of trees was a wide open field of snow. But the peacefulness of its white was broken by a twenty story drop off the side of jagged cliffs. And even above those, were higher, sharper cliffs. Below that, was doom.  
  
Gathering their materials and unsheathing glittering weapons, the crew ran for their lives from Fubuki's Forest. The cliffs loomed hauntingly overhead as the crew became increasingly aware of the fatal drop on the very cliff they stood. In their anxiety, the mismatched team didn't even notice the dozens of glittering green eyes upon them from above . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Are you ready?!" Drakja snapped, moving out from behind his tree-post and trotting towards the cliff-edge. Chikara looked to the other geonomes for approval and then nodded. "Good. Prepare to swarm . . ." Drakja waited, peering down over the edge of the cliff to where the crew stood hesitantly near the brink of the lethal drop. He could see him . . . The first Angel of Death . . . Right in his line of fire. The shot was too perfect to pass up. Drakja's teeth glittered as he grinned wickedly in the setting sun.  
  
"And . . . NOW!!!"  
  
With his cry, the ninety-plus geonomes leapt from the cliff or teleported to the protrusion of land below. The enemy, caught unaware, could only cry out as the sparkles of leering green eyes fell upon them. The geonomes, laughing, moved closer; surrounding them; encircling them; suffocating them. They were trapped . . .  
  
"No!" Garnet gasped, clutching onto Zidane's arm. There was no way out. Dozens of cackling, snarling geonomes were surrounding them. They could only back up so far before they tumbled to their deaths . . .  
  
"We have to fight!" Lani shouted, preparing her axe. "We have to break the circle!"  
  
"W-we can't defeat them ALL!" Vivi whimpered, shivering.  
  
"Hold your ground!" Kuja hissed. Something was wrong . . . He couldn't see any of the high-ranking geonomes . . . Not Chikara, Dart, Lulian . . . or Drakja . . . None of them. Kuja frowned.  
  
/Is this some sort of trap . . .? It's not a very good one, is it . . .?/  
  
Drakja licked his lips as he perched several stories above the heads of his nemesis. He closed one emerald eye, aiming the gun as carefully as he could despite the shaking of his hand.  
  
"Come on, you silver-haired devil . . ." the madman murmured, licking his dried lips once more. The sight was directly upon the warlock now. He could see Kuja through the target, holding out a frighteningly long sword to ward off any geonome that dared to break the circle. Chikara was hidden somewhere, waiting . . . Drakja's hand was shaking, jostling the sight and moving the cursor.  
  
"Fuck it . . ." he snarled. "I can do this . . ."  
  
Triss had given Drakja only nine Momoku-tama. He couldn't afford to miss. Yet his nerves were getting the better of him. The geonome had never used the gun on a humanoid before. He certainly wasn't utilizing the gun's most frightening function (which Mikoto knew all too well), but still . . . shooting someone took guts.  
  
With a gasp, Drakja fired.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kuja heard the shot and the echoing report. His eyes widened.  
  
"Watch out!" The bullet was practically in Vivi's face. Kuja lunged and shoved the black mage into the snow. The sorcerer felt the bullet whiz by overhead and as he landed with a thud on top of Vivi, the two looked up in fear.  
  
"Th-they're shooting at us with those weird gun-thingies!" Garnet cried, looking horrified at Zidane. Zidane cursed. One of the geonomes cackled.  
  
"With poisoned bullets, we are!" The crew gulped.  
  
"They're surrounding us so they can fire!" Fratley realized aloud. "Which means we have to . . ."  
  
"Break the circle," Beatrix finished. Zidane nodded. The question was "how?" There was almost a hundred giggling geonomes surrounding them and they were being backed up further and further towards the cliff-edge. The surrounding cliffs, which loomed like mammoth castles overhead, were ringing with the echo of the gunfire. The bullets were coming from above . . .  
  
Kuja rose slowly, apologizing to Vivi. The black mage only shook his head and thanked the silver-haired genome for saving his life. Kuja barely heard him. The horrible truth was becoming clear . . . That bullet was meant for him . . . The geonomes had come for his life at last . . .  
  
/I've got to watch myself . . ./  
  
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"Fuck!" Drakja cursed once more. He fumbled furiously with his gun, clicking the loader with trembling fingers. "God damn piece of shit . . ." His patience was steadily fraying. Only eight more bullets . . . And now the enemy knew he was there shooting at them. The geonome pulled out from his hiding place behind a rock and darted to a thin, scraggly tree which appeared to have never seen a leaf in its entire life. Pressing his back against the bark, Drakja readied the gun once more. He hesitated, then craned his neck around the trunk and held up the weapon. The sight was directly on Kuja once more, but now he could see the sorcerer whipping his head around like a startled horse. He would leap away as soon as Drakja pulled the trigger, the bastard . . .  
  
With a deep breath, Drakja closed his eyes and fired.  
  
Below, the crew scattered as they heard the shot. Kuja in particular threw himself into the snow. The geonomes were laughing. Amarant, who seemed to feel this was all a pinch in his pride, lashed out suddenly at one of the geonomes with his claws. She fell back as three long rips appeared in her shirt.  
  
There was a moment of silence as the female stared down at the ruined garment. Geonomes were known for being narcissistic, fashion-oriented, and all around image-conscious creatures. The girl's lip was trembling with rage. She looked up slowly at Amarant and growled.  
  
"ATTACK!!!"  
  
The circle of geonomes collapsed inward, throwing themselves like vicious animals upon the crew.  
  
And thus began the battle. It was eleven against a hundred, yet Zidane and the others were holding out amazingly well. They slashed, clawed, bit, cast magic, summoned, and did whatever it took to simply stay alive. Killing the geonomes was no longer a priority, only keeping the monsters from tearing out the team's throats mattered.  
  
"Damn it!" Freya snarled, smacking a geonome across the head with her spear. Though the creature fell back, six more suddenly piled on top of the Burmecian.  
  
There was simply no end to them . . .  
  
Above, Drakja was cursing up a storm. Two bullets gone, and all because he couldn't keep his damn hands steady.  
  
"I can do this, I can do this . . ." he repeated over and over as the alpha- male reloaded and began to aim once more. He fired and it missed.  
  
The team below looked around wildly for the bullet, but couldn't figure out where it had gone or who it had nearly hit. The geonomes didn't seem perturbed at all, and they continued to fight like maniacs. Another shot rang through the air, then a third. Still, the battle raged on . . .  
  
"Watch out!" Zidane shouted towards Kuja as he dodged a shadow-ball and slashed with his daggers simultaneously. Kuja looked around puzzled, wondering why Zidane had yelled at him when no bullets were being fired. The warlock was a second too late . . . Chikara came out of nowhere and rammed into Kuja with such force that the sorcerer was thrown clear off his feet. Kuja skidded into the snow causing several geonomes to leap out of his way as he fell. A break formed in the back of the circle, opening towards the edge of the cliff. As the gap formed, the geonomes became a chaotic semi-circle of attackers. The drop yawned nearby. For a moment Kuja lay there, stunned. Then he rose to his feet with a groan.  
  
His side was throbbing with a dull pain where Chikara had hit him. Kuja's bright blue eyes locked onto the geonome, who was grinning maniacally at him. He intended to keep him in the line of fire . . .!  
  
"Outta my way!" Kuja snarled, holding out the Masamune as threateningly as he could.  
  
Chikara chuckled. "Not a chance, Dark Messenger," In his head, however, Chikara was thinking only of Drakja. He didn't want his master to make a fool of himself for Garland. Drakja had the greatest aim of anyone he'd ever known. Why couldn't he hit Kuja? Drakja's performance record was already slipping dangerously low. Another strike, and Garland could literally dispose of the man . . .!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Drakja was fuming. Only four more bullets . . . Only four fucking bullets. Already the geonome was seized with nerves. He had to make it this time; he had to! Drakja lifted the gun once more and peered angrily through the sight. This time it was dead-on. He couldn't miss!  
  
"Come on you sorry excuse for Saishoja . . .!"  
  
BLAM!  
  
The bullet whizzed through the air, scattering several geonomes below and causing Zidane's group to duck with fear. Drakja's eyes widened. Chikara was backing Kuja up, keeping him in the bullet's path. He was going to make it!  
  
"Whu . . . What the fuck?!"  
  
Drakja rubbed his eyes, stared, and then rubbed them once more. The bullet had veered off course, nearly hitting Chikara!  
  
"I-Impossible!" Drakja cried, staring angrily over the side of the cliff. "No! No, no, no!"  
  
In his fear, Drakja shot blindly two more times. His green eyes were glowing wildly, his hair falling madly into his face. This was impossible . . . Impossible! He was descended of the greatest general Terra had ever known! He couldn't botch a simple shooting mission!  
  
Below, the battle continued. The crew was fighting with all they had as the geonomes swarmed. But inevitably the heroes were slowing down. Death was looming over their heads like a frightening black fog.  
  
"I-I can't do this anymore!" Eiko gasped, casting Cure upon herself. "There's too many of them!"  
  
The others were drooping with fatigue as well; their movements becoming slurred. Already, a geonome's dagger had come too close for their liking; a shadow ball too near for comfort.  
  
The odds were slim to none . . .  
  
"We'll never survive this . . ." Zidane murmured. The realization of defeat was imminent. It was over.  
  
"This is the end . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Drakja was gasping for breath as he stood atop the cliff drenched in a cold sweat. His ponytail had come undone in his hysterics and long, mahogany hair piled over his shoulders and down his waist.  
  
One bullet left . . . One last bullet . . .  
  
Drakja could feel himself shaking with fear as he stared down at his gun. Only one last chance. Just one. A beacon of light and hope seemed to glow from the nozzle of the weapon, and yet a black feeling of doom came to his heart as well.  
  
If he didn't make it . . . What if . . .?  
  
Attempting vainly to compose himself, Drakja got down on one knee and raised his gun once more.  
  
/Just one . . . Just one . . ./  
  
He closed one eye, and took a breath. His finger twitched upon the trigger, went cold, and let go.  
  
/I can't do this . . ./  
  
/Just one . . . Just one . . ./  
  
"Damn it . . . I'll kill that fucking bastard!"  
  
Then Drakja slammed down upon the trigger . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The event that followed Drakja firing the gun happened so fast that any passerby who blinked missed the scene entirely.  
  
At first, Zidane heard the shot. He yelled out just as he and the others realized how dangerously close the bullet was coming. This one was not merely brushing over their heads. The screaming of its trail cut straight through the battle. But as Zidane rushed forward to get to his companions, a geonome suddenly came out of nowhere. The green-eyed creation, laughing hysterically, threw a shadow-ball directly into Zidane's chest just as the blonde was hit across the side of the head with the butt-end of a spear. Zidane cried out as blood splattered, and was thrown off his feet as the cloud of black smoke encircled him. It seemed a Thundaga had been placed within the noxious fumes, for Zidane convulsed violently as he fell backwards, unconscious.  
  
"ZIDANE!!!" Garnet screamed. The ledge was inches away.  
  
Zidane was going to fall . . .  
  
Kuja gasped as he took in the sight of his brother's body drenched in blood as it tumbled towards the cliff-side. The shadow-ball hadn't completely dispersed, and Kuja knew touching Zidane would meaning getting electrocuted . . .  
  
"No!" /Zidane WILL NOT die on my watch!/  
  
Kuja lunged forward, dropping the Masamune. His cloak billowed out behind him as he dove through the air. Gasps arose from the spectators, geonome and comrade alike.  
  
There was a sharp intake of breath as Kuja tore through the air behind Zidane and wrapped his arms around the boy's chest, catching him. Kuja winced against the tidal-wave of electricity that washed over his body. Then he felt the sting in his shoulder. For a moment, time froze. Then he felt a piercing pain wrench through his body. It felt like someone was ripping his arm clear out of its socket.  
  
"Ah!"  
  
Blood gushed into the air as the bullet drove through Kuja's shoulder and right out the other side. He screamed in pain as the sheer momentum of the shot threw his feet out from under him.  
  
There was a shriek of disbelief from every witness there as the two genomes, in a flurry of billowing cloaks and silver hair, tumbled over the edge of the cliff and vanished. The last thing they saw was the end of Kuja's cape before he and Zidane were gone . . .  
  
The entire thing had taken less than three seconds . . .  
  
It felt as if the very air in the clearing had been sucked away. No one dared to breathe. Chikara blinked several times, then looked up towards the nearby cliff where Drakja was standing, a dot atop the mass of snowy land. Then the dot vanished and Drakja reappeared several feet away from the battle. He was clutching the gun weakly, as pale as the surrounding landscape.  
  
"D-did I do it . . .?" he queried softly. Chikara nodded slowly. No one seemed able to comprehend what had happened yet. Garnet suddenly let out a strangled cry and ran to the edge of the cliff. The rest of the crew followed. The geonomes, on the other hand, backed up towards their master. Drakja was staring aloofly at his enemies.  
  
/I shot the Shishon of Saishoja . . ./ he thought absently, staring into space. /So why don't I feel happy . . .?/  
  
"Oh god, no!" Garnet cried, dropping to her knees beside the cliff. Beatrix was staring over the edge silently. At the bottom of the twenty- story drop was a positively massive lake. Unfortunately, it was frozen solid.  
  
No one could have survived such a fall . . .  
  
Then Beatrix spotted the stream. The lake twisted out into a shallow trickle of water untouched by the cold of the continent. What if . . .?  
  
"Come on, we've got to get down there!" Beatrix cried, backing up. No one dared question the general's motives. They brushed past the geonomes as they flew away from the ledge of doom, desperate to find their friends.  
  
Drakja did not try to stop them . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Everything was a blur. For a moment, Kuja felt the sensation of his body free-falling with nothing, not even land, beneath it. Nothing seemed real. The pinkish sky above him was . . . literally above him. His grip on Zidane was almost gone.  
  
They would perish together . . .  
  
/Then I finally realized what it means to live . . ./ Kuja thought wistfully to himself. He could feel old memories returning to him. Beckoning to him in his moment of death. /Am I too late again . . .?/  
  
The cliff-walls rushed up before him as blood from his shoulder streamed into the icy air. The ground below was charging up to meet them . . . To take its evil, blackened hands and seize the brothers into the realm of death. Kuja closed his eyes amidst the screaming of the howling wind against his ears and imagined himself and Zidane when they hit the frozen lake below. It was a gruesome image . . . But what if there was a way to . . .  
  
Kuja's eyes snapped open in his moment of enlightenment. There was a way . . . But one of them would have to . . .  
  
"Zidane . . ." Kuja murmured, though he knew his unconscious brother couldn't hear him. ". . . I'm sorry . . . Garland has robbed me of my magic . . . Your comrades were too late to cast a spell . . . I have only one option left . . . Forgive me . . ."  
  
Then Kuja closed his eyes and with a deep breath, clutched Zidane to his chest and positioned his own back to the ground as he fell dream-like through the air.  
  
Then there was a crack and he felt the rushing agony as the warlock's side hit the ice below. He let out a gasp of pain as he broke through to the unforgiving, black waters of the lake. And as he clutched Zidane's shielded, unharmed body to his chest, everything went dark . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: *giggle* When I said it was a cliffhanger, I was serious! I mean it's literally a cliffhanger! Get it, get it? *snigger* In case you couldn't tell, Kuja used his body to shield Zidane from the ice. Now here's the important note: in this fic there will be three "Enlightenment Chapters." These three chapters are when someone will say something and you people should all go "*gasp* I get it!" and it will suddenly make sense. The next chapter's the first one! We're going to find out one of the mysteries of Saishoja and what Triss's poison was for. We also get to meet a new character (sort of), and we find out more of Garland's plan! It's a learning chapter (thus, the Enlightenment title). Oh, and my mom has an incredibly dry sense of humor. I was at a Michael's Arts and Crafts store and my mom came up to me holding a furry red pen with a bird-face and huge red feathers sprouting out of its head and said "Hey, look! It's Kuja!"  
  
Ha . . . Ha . . . Ha . . .  
  
r34d 4|\|d r3\/|3\/\/!!! (read and review!!!) 


	32. Momoku Part 2: The Fever

A/N: *yawn* Phew . . . Break's over . . . and I accomplished nothing ^_^ Now I have finals in a week *sigh* I'm a lousy student, low B's and a few A's . . . and an occasional C that gets me grounded . . . But I'm so not motivated, and I have such a deep hatred for school it's unbelievable. I'm convinced simply writing and drawing for me is all the training I need . . . screw school. Okay, now that that's off my chest ^_^ Whee! Important chapter! The first of the three most important chapters, in fact! In this one, the mystery of why Saishoja is so weird is finally revealed. We finally learn why he's always getting beaten up and what "changes" Garland made when he recreated him. But this chapter is disgustingly angsty (I couldn't stop laughing while I was writing it). So anyways, Happy New Year if it's the New Year for you. And if it's not . . . well, be happy anyways!  
  
Disclaimer: Inalfay Antasyfay isway otnay ownedway ybay emay (bwaha, I love Pig-Latin . . . )  
  
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"In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is King,"  
  
- Lycon, Minority Report  
  
". . . Dart . . .?"  
  
"What?"  
  
". . . How long's it been . . .?"  
  
"Whaddya mean . . .?"  
  
". . . You know . . ."  
  
"Oh. Um . . . Five minutes?"  
  
"Okay, I'm ready to place my bet,"  
  
Dart stared at Ummei for a full minute at least, wondering if he was truly as stupid as he seemed.  
  
"Ummei . . ." Dart said slowly, trying to keep her temper to a minimum. "You can't place a bet on something like this after five minutes . . ."  
  
"Why not?" Ummei queried. "I'm betting the two Angels of Death aren't dead. What's wrong with that?"  
  
Dart's eye was twitching with the suppressed urge to wring Ummei's neck. "Because . . ." she hissed. "You can't bet on whether or not someone has drowned when they've been underwater for five minutes!"  
  
". . . Wh-why not . . .?"  
  
Dart smacked Ummei across the shoulder, growling. "Because five minutes is how long it takes for someone to die of oxygen deprivation!"  
  
"Oxy . . . What?"  
  
Dart sighed, kicking the snow with aggravation. She couldn't stand how Ummei crouched in the bushes staring at the frozen lake and waiting for what wasn't going to happen . . .  
  
"In other words," the female geonome stated. "If they haven't resurfaced after five minutes, they've drowned,"  
  
Ummei blinked several times, processing this information. Suddenly, he frowned.  
  
"Dart . . . Does that mean we've failed our mission?"  
  
Dart folded her arms across her chest and looked out at the sun, which was barely a thin orange line over the bumpy white horizon. She hated to admit the idiot was right.  
  
"N-not exactly," Dart muttered. "I mean, that part wasn't our fault. We were supposed to watch Drakja and make sure he shot Kuja . . . It's not our fault Drakja shot him and his stupid brother off a cliff . . ."  
  
"B-but maybe we should have gone in after them!" Ummei was clutching the collar of his cloak with fear. His green eyes were dancing with tears. Bahamut only knew what Garland would do to them when they returned . . . Ummei let out a dry sob. "Dart! Garland told us we couldn't report back to the Indomitable until Kuja was shot!"  
  
"Which he WAS!" Dart defended, refusing to meet her partner's teary stare. "L-let's just go back . . . There's no use hangin' around here . . . C'mon . . ."  
  
Dart began to leave with a swish of her mahogany tail. She listened for the sound of Ummei following her, but it was eerily silent. Dart whipped around angrily when she realized the omega was still crouching in the snow.  
  
"Ummei, would you - !"  
  
Ummei's green eyes were wide as he stared at the shimmering lake. "Dart . . . Dart c'mere! Hurry!" Dart realized Ummei wasn't joking. She hadn't heard him sound this excited since . . . Well, since forever . . . Dart rushed immediately to the omega's side and crouched down in the bushes beside him. She saw nothing . . .  
  
"Ummei, have you lost your - "  
  
"Shh!"  
  
For a moment, there was silence. The two geonomes stooped there in the thorny bushes, barely daring to breathe. There was something strange in the air . . . A sign, a warning . . . Something . . .  
  
Suddenly, a chunk of the frozen lake exploded, sending fragments of ice and water shooting into the air. A fist had been punched through the surface of the lake and a ghostly white hand was desperately gripping the edge of the hole. Dart's eyes were the size of dinner plates.  
  
"No . . . Way . . ."  
  
"You owe me gil," was all Ummei could say.  
  
The hand was soon followed by a body, soaking wet and limp like a corpse . . . It wasn't the body the hand belonged to, however. Someone was pushing the lifeless form onto the surface of the ice. Dart recognized the matted blonde hair immediately.  
  
"It's the second Angel of Death! Oh shit, he looks dead, Ummei . . ."  
  
Ummei's eyes were glittering in the setting sun. ". . . He's not dead . . ."  
  
Dart glanced sideways at Ummei, frowning, but decided not to say anything. They were waiting now . . . There was one more person who should have been resurfacing . . .  
  
Suddenly, a head burst from the watery hole, gasping and spluttering for air. The silver hair floated eerily in the water as the person clutched onto the edge of the ice, having pushed his comrade completely onto the surface.  
  
"It's Kuja!" Dart gasped, struck dumb with awe. "Impossible! With his injuries, how could he have - "  
  
Ummei was chewing feverishly on the collar of his cloak, choking and trying not to cry. Dart stared at him, concerned. "Ummei, what's wrong?" Ummei just shook his head, whimpering. Then, suddenly, it all made sense to Dart. Somehow, some way, Ummei was able to sense the life-force in people. He was crying because he sensed death in Kuja . . . Dart felt her chest tightening. Now that she realized what was happening, she sensed it too. The lake-water had become red with Kuja's blood and he wasn't trying to get out. The silver-haired sorcerer was clutching onto the edge of the hole, gasping for breath and shivering. The first Angel of Death was dying . . .  
  
"N-no . . ."  
  
Dart's lip was trembling, and for whatever reason, she felt like crying as well. A rather embarrassing tear rolled down her cheek.  
  
"Ummei . . . I-I'll pay you half if you promise never to tell anyone about this . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kuja could barely understand what he was doing as he clutched onto the edge of the ice. His eyes were covered in an impenetrable mist as his grip on the slippery water began to weaken.  
  
/No . . ./ he thought faintly. /I can't let go . . . Zidane . . . Zidane needs me . . ./  
  
The warlock felt as if he were watching himself from far away, able to scrutinize his every movement. He scoffed at his own weakness; that he couldn't even drag himself out of the water. And all the while, the ice burned red with his blood.  
  
"Come on . . ." Kuja whispered faintly to himself, hugging the edge of the ice defiantly. "You pushed Zidane out . . . You can make it too . . ."  
  
The icy water had numbed the sorcerer's body so completely that he could no longer feel the pain he knew was there. He didn't need to look to know what had happened when he'd hit the ice. The wound in his shoulder no longer bled . . . Only one other thing could be causing the ice to soak in the slippery crimson.  
  
"I'm dead . . ." Kuja whispered, eyes glazing sadly. The realization of this truth brought tears to his eyes. "Damn . . ."  
  
/No you're not . . ./  
  
Kuja blinked thickly. He could have sworn he'd heard a voice on the wind, whispering to his ears.  
  
"I must be delusional . . ." he muttered to himself. A soft groan suddenly averted the warlock's attention. Nearby, Zidane stirred slightly as a cold breeze blew over his wet body. Kuja stared at his brother. He looked so weak and small, lying there like a rag doll atop the ice with the wound on his head leaking a slow trickle of blood down his face.  
  
"Zidane . . . I can't let Zidane down . . ."  
  
Then, suddenly, Kuja felt a surge of strength rush through his limbs. With a gasp, he shoved his battered body onto the ice where he collapsed and lay there, in too much shock to move. In his fluttering thoughts, he could have sworn he'd felt someone helping him out of the icy depths . . . The only thing that kept him from giving up hope right then and there was knowing his brother was still alive and needed to be returned to his friends immediately or . . . or he wouldn't be alive anymore . . .  
  
The sun was already going down, and on the Forgotten Continent the sun's departure sent an icy curse upon the land which would surely claim the genome's life if Kuja didn't get him to safety.  
  
So with a sigh, Kuja finally sat up. He could hear the steady plip-plop of his blood dripping onto the ice but refused to acknowledge its presence. He was already dead; only Zidane mattered . . .  
  
Kuja WOULD get his brother to safety . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Come on!" Beatrix cried, leaping over brambles and plunging through the tufts of trees along the stream-edge. "Hurry!"  
  
"Wh-what are we doing?!" Lani puffed as the general put on an extra spurt of speed.  
  
"Don't you get it?!" Beatrix shouted, annoyed, over her shoulder. "The lake branches out into this stream, which isn't frozen! From where Kuja and Zidane fell, they should wash up around here somewhere carried on the water's current!"  
  
"W-wash up?!" Garnet cried. "You mean, dead?!"  
  
/Maybe . . ./ Beatrix thought softly to herself.  
  
"No!" Garnet whimpered. "No, Zidane can't be dead!" She fingered the golden ring around her finger as she charged through the trees. The trickling water that ran sluggishly beside them as it fought the impenetrable cold was their only guide. "W-we still need to get married! Zidane . . .!"  
  
"Oof!" Vivi fell backwards as he suddenly ran into the back of Freya's legs. Beatrix had come to a sudden, screeching halt which caused half the crew to nearly fall over in surprise.  
  
"What are we doing?!" Fratley queried, craning his neck to better see what had caused the sudden stop.  
  
Beatrix was frozen stiff, staring at something in the trees with her one good eye. For a moment, there was a confused silence. Then the snapping of twigs reached the team's ears from within the trees and a dark shadow emerged slowly as though from a mist. Instinctively, the group withdrew their weapons, suspecting the geonomes had returned to finish what they'd started.  
  
"No, drop your weapons!" Beatrix snapped, holding out an arm. Her comrades were so surprised that they almost did. It was then that the puzzled team realized the shadow that was steadily drawing nearer was carrying another . . .  
  
"It's Kuja . . ." Freya gasped in amazement, eyeing the sorcerer in an awestruck manner.  
  
Kuja walked slowly towards his companions as if in some sort of trance. Draped like a limp doll across his arms was Zidane . . . Garnet made a movement to go to her fiancé, but Beatrix kept her arm out defiantly, keeping the queen at bay.  
  
"Beatrix, what are you - ?" Beatrix just shook her head, ruffling the thick brown curls of her hair. With no other option left, the crew simply watched Kuja with curiosity etched upon their faces.  
  
When the sorcerer was within the small clearing of trees, he lowered Zidane gently to the ground as if he were made of glass and would shatter with the slightest touch. Even Steiner was amazed at Kuja's delicate treatment of his brother. Then the warlock straightened and looked at his comrades with the most piercing stare they had ever seen. It wasn't an angry stare, or even an aggravated stare. It was sad, as if Kuja were apologizing with his eyes but was no longer able to speak. His eyes, which were filmed over, seemed to plead forgiveness.  
  
It was the last time they would ever see him look at them like that . . . Beatrix felt the breath rush from her chest as the horrible truth struck her.  
  
"KUJA!!!" The general rushed forward, knowing in her heart that it was too late.  
  
With a sigh, Kuja's saddened eyes rolled up into his head and he collapsed, lifeless, into Beatrix's awaiting arms. A gasp of horror arose from the crew and they, too, rushed forward and crowded around the pair.  
  
"No! Don't touch him!" Beatrix cried, gently lowering Kuja to the forest- floor. "Kuja . . ." the general murmured, shaking the warlock's shoulder. He didn't respond. Beatrix bit her lip and then began barking out commands. "Steiner! Fratley! Amarant! Take care of Zidane! Get the bandages from the bag and wrap up the wound around his head! Then use some of the spare blankets to dry off his clothes and for god's sake keep him warm! Freya! Garnet! Lani! Get over here and help me take care of Kuja!"  
  
"What about me and Vivi?!" Eiko whined, wanting desperately to be useful to the crew. Beatrix shook her head angrily. A child's innocence was not wanted in such an urgent situation.  
  
"Just light a fire," she instructed, glaring at the youngest members of the team out of the corner of her one eye. "I'll call you if I need you,"  
  
Eiko and Vivi nodded, then scampered off to find some dry sticks.  
  
"Is he alright?" Freya queried as she stood over Kuja's unmoving body. Beatrix brushed some silver hair from Kuja's face, frowning.  
  
"He's extremely weak. He must have carried Zidane all the way here despite his injuries . . ."  
  
"But how did he and Zidane survive the fall?" Garnet asked cautiously, glancing nervously at her fiancé a few feet away.  
  
Beatrix shook her head, concentrating on reviving Kuja. "I have no idea . . . Damn it!"  
  
"What?"  
  
Beatrix held up one arm to show her blood-stained glove. "The wound on Kuja's shoulder seems cauterized for some reason . . . so I can't figure out where he's bleeding from!"  
  
Freya quickly snagged one of the supply bags and began searching for more bandages. Beatrix, her hands quivering slightly, unhooked Kuja cloak. She could see it now, the puddle-sized blood-stain on the side of Kuja's shirt. And underneath that would be the source of their troubles . . . Tentatively, Beatrix lifted the fabric . . .  
  
. . . And dropped it with a sob.  
  
"No . . .! Kuja, you . . . You god damn idiot!"  
  
Lani cocked her head, craning her neck to see what was wrong. "What the hell are you cursin' him for?!"  
  
Freya sat down in the snow at Kuja's side and pulled back his shirt. Then the Burmecian swore like they'd never heard her swear before. "Holy fucking shit! Beatrix, he . . . He tore his whole god damn side open!"  
  
Beatrix nodded numbly, trying to suppress her tears. Kuja's entire left side looked as if it had been ripped off by a giant claw and was in the process of spilling his life's blood at an alarmingly fast rate. Freya, her eyes dancing with fear, immediately began tearing bandages. Beatrix gently lifted Kuja halfway so Freya could wrap the bandages around his waist. Even SHE knew it was a lost cause . . .  
  
And the sun had finally made its descent, spreading an evil blackness upon the crew . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kuja stared confusedly into the darkness around him.  
  
". . . What is this place . . .?"  
  
Silence.  
  
". . . Why is HE here?"  
  
Kuja whipped around at the sound of the voice. There was a ripple of whispers in the air; a senseless drone of murmuring.  
  
"H-hello?!" Kuja called, praying for an answer and yet hoping he wouldn't receive one at the same time.  
  
"Is he forgotten too?" a voice queried, nothing more than a breath of air in Kuja's ear.  
  
"No . . . He sees! He sees!"  
  
"He sees! He sees!" the voices cried accusingly. The sound was deafening, pounding against Kuja's psyche. They chased him deeper and deeper into the darkness, to the point of no return.  
  
And when there were no other options left, he retreated into the unforgiving arms of the past . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"How's Zidane?" Beatrix queried, glancing over at Steiner. The knight had stood up and was now brushing the snow off his armor.  
  
"He's fine," Steiner said simply, shrugging. "He was the lucky one, I guess," Beatrix bowed her head sadly, sighing.  
  
"Yes . . . He was . . ."  
  
Steiner hesitated for a moment. "What about Kuja . . .?"  
  
Beatrix bit her lip. "We've stopped the bleeding, but . . . Oh, he won't wake up, Steiner!"  
  
Vivi, who had been standing nervously nearby, took a step closer into the fire-light. "Wh-why not?"  
  
"I don't know . . .!"  
  
Freya, who was seated at Kuja's side and wrapping up the last of the bandages was vainly shaking Kuja's shoulder. The sorcerer was completely unresponsive. "You know . . ." the Burmecian said slowly, as if speaking about a taboo subject. "If you look at Kuja's wounds and Zidane's wounds . . . I think there's a connection . . ."  
  
Amarant grunted gruffly nearby. "No duh. Judging by the gash in Kuja's side, the moron obviously protected Zidane's body from the fall . . . When monkey-boy over here wakes up, he's gonna owe Kuja a shit-load of favors . . ."  
  
Garnet looked away sadly. So that was the truth then? Kuja was in this terrible condition for Zidane? As if out of reflex, the queen gently brushed a strand of hair off Kuja's face. Her eyes immediately gleamed with concern.  
  
"Beatrix . . . He's feverish!"  
  
"What?" The general brushed Garnet's hand away and touched Kuja's forehead. It felt like it was on fire . . . "What in the . . .?"  
  
/Flash/  
  
"Th-they're shooting at us with those weird gun-thingies!"  
  
"With poisoned bullets we are!"  
  
/Flash/  
  
"The bullet was poisoned!" Beatrix gasped, staring in horror at the blood- stain on Kuja's shoulder.  
  
"Is he gonna die . . .?" Eiko queried hesitantly, looking rather unsure as she stood there beneath the dark canopy of trees.  
  
No one answered. After all, what could they say? They were stuck in the middle of a frozen forest in the dead of night with no antidote or even any knowledge as to what the poison could do. Another of the crew members was out of commission, and the ship was miles away. What could they really say?  
  
"Everyone . . . Just get some sleep . . ." Beatrix said slowly. "We'll . . . We'll figure things out in the morning . . ." /If he's still alive in the morning . . ./  
  
After a moment of silence, the others nodded and began to settle in for the night. Blankets were scarce, and the air was like an icy fang that bit them all over, cutting at their flesh. Beatrix, on the other hand, refused to sleep. She sat beside Kuja the entire time, just staring at him in a guilty manner.  
  
After several hours of watching her out of one sleepy eye, Steiner couldn't take it anymore.  
  
"Beatrix, dear, please get some rest! It's not healthy to stay up like this!"  
  
The general just shook her head, glancing up as Steiner sat down beside her. He just didn't get it . . .  
  
"I feel terrible," Beatrix murmured. "No one deserves this less than Kuja. He was saving his brother! And look what he got for it . . ." She gently touched Kuja's cheek and sighed. "I've never seen anything like this before. This is no ordinary fever. My hand nearly burns touching him . . ."  
  
Steiner frowned. "But what's the purpose of a poisoned bullet? It looks like all it's doing is killing him anyways . . . The bullet could have done that itself . . ."  
  
"I don't know,"  
  
Steiner rubbed his chin thoughtfully as the fire cast deep, flickering shadows across his harsh-featured face. "Well, I guess most of Gaia will be happy . . ."  
  
"Don't say that!" Beatrix cried, glaring at the knight. "That's not true!"  
  
"Geez," Steiner muttered, bowing his head in submission. "What are you getting so worked up for?"  
  
Beatrix was shaking slightly with emotions she'd suppressed for years. The general clenched her fingers into fists and suddenly let out an angry cry.  
  
"I loved him once!" she shouted, standing up furiously. "And he loved me! And I swore only a few weeks ago that I would do whatever it took to help Kuja now that he's a different person! And I failed him! Imagine if that was me!" Beatrix pointed an accusing finger at Kuja's unconscious body. "Can you imagine?! A man I once loved is DYING, Steiner! And there's absolutely NOTHING I can do for him!"  
  
Beatrix quieted slightly as Steiner stood up and put an arm around her shoulder, shushing the general softly. He'd never seen Beatrix show this sort of emotion. She was typically a cold woman whose duty was her life and nothing more. But then again . . . If she'd thought Kuja's life was her duty, then . . .  
  
The others were awake, whether they were pretending or not. They'd heard every last word of what Beatrix had said and it pained them greatly.  
  
". . . Ugh . . . That is NOT cool . . ."  
  
Beatrix and Steiner jerked at the sound of the voice. Likewise, several crew members sat up in surprise. A few feet away, Zidane was struggling to sit up, rubbing his forehead and groaning.  
  
"Zidane!" Garnet cried, unable to keep the joy from her voice as she tore off her blanket and ran to her fiancé's side. "Oh, Zidane, how do you feel?!"  
  
". . . Like shit . . . What the hell happened . . .?" Zidane gave Garnet a quick kiss on the cheek, though he was frowning.  
  
"Do you remember anything . . .?" Freya queried as she lugged herself into a sitting position as well.  
  
"Remember anything? I-I fell . . ." Zidane stumbled, furrowing his brow. "Seems I lived though, huh?" Then the shadow fell across his face as some fragment of memory finally resurfaced. "But I . . . I remember Kuja asking me to forgive him and . . . Dagger, where's Kuja?" They could see the suspicion in Zidane's eyes now. He knew something had happened . . . His eyes narrowed even further when no one responded.  
  
"Dagger . . . Where's Kuja?" the genome repeated. Garnet hesitated, then pointed a shaking finger at the unmoving body lying a few feet away. Zidane's brow furrowed. "Dagger, help me up," he commanded quietly. Garnet nodded and carefully supported Zidane as he rose unsteadily to his feet. The genome then stumbled over to his brother's side and when he saw the pathetic sight, he dropped to his knees beside him.  
  
"Kuja . . . No . . ."  
  
In the few hours since Kuja had collapsed, the sorcerer had become undeniably worse. His face was an ashen, sickly gray, and there were dark circles beneath his eyes. He scarcely breathed or made any sign of life. Zidane's eyes filled with tears at the sight, particularly when he spotted the blood-stain on Kuja's side.  
  
"He . . . He did this to save me . . ." Zidane whispered, biting his lip. The others were silent, watching as the glow of the fire cast twisted shadows across their darkened figures.  
  
"He was shot by one of the poisoned bullets," Beatrix explained. "We . . . We don't know what it's doing . . . But he hasn't woken since he collapsed. And he's burning with the most horrible fever I've ever seen . . ."  
  
Zidane gently touched Kuja's pale hand and immediately recoiled. "It's like a fire!" Beatrix nodded sadly. Then, feeling it was the least he could do, Zidane clutched Kuja's hand once more. He could brave the flames . . . for his brother.  
  
Suddenly, Kuja's eyes snapped open. Zidane suppressed a gasp and then looked around to see if anyone else had noticed. No one was even looking in the general direction . . . /How strange . . ./ Zidane thought, frowning. It was as if for that one solitary minute in time, every member of the team was preoccupied with looking at something else but himself. Zidane looked down at his brother and had to stifle a scream. His brother's eyes were white . . . Like death. And though they were right on him, they seemed to see nothing at all. There was a horrible glaze upon the warlock's eyes as if they were the unblinking, sightless eyes of hell.  
  
And the image was so familiar . . .  
  
/Flash/  
  
Suddenly, out of nowhere, Kuja's eyes snapped open with a hiss. Zidane had to stifle a scream. They were white and as empty as his dead body . . . They seemed to be leering at him, through him, past him . . .  
  
Into him . . .  
  
/Flash/  
  
"Kuja," Zidane murmured, clutching his brother's hand. Kuja didn't respond. His eyes were far away and seeing things that didn't exist . . . anymore . . .  
  
"Please . . ." Kuja rasped. "Don't do it . . . I won't let it happen . . . I won't let him be . . . Like me!" The sorcerer flinched as if in pain.  
  
The others looked over just as Kuja's eyes closed wearily once more. They hadn't seen what Zidane had . . . But it didn't matter . . . They'd heard him.  
  
"What's he talking about?" Lani queried from where she lay shivering beneath a thin blanket. Zidane bit back a sob.  
  
"He's reliving the past . . . And the day he tried to kill me . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kuja stumbled blindly in the darkness for what seemed like a thousand years.  
  
"Please . . ." he sobbed, reaching out for anything in his path. Much to his surprise, the sorcerer's fingers suddenly brushed the threshold of an open door. Not even asking how it had gotten there, Kuja clutched onto it and sank limply to the floor.  
  
"It's so . . . hot . . ." the warlock moaned. He could feel the sweat pouring down his face as the furnace-like temperatures increased. Kuja bit back a cry of pain as he clutched the wall. It felt like he would slip into an oblivion if he let go.  
  
". . . Kuja . . .?"  
  
The sorcerer blinked and looked up. Then his glazed eyes widened with surprise.  
  
"M-Megan . . .?"  
  
There she stood, exactly as he remembered her years before. Her pale brown hair seemed to blow in a phantom wind and her fair skin was glowing from the mysterious light that shined from behind her. The girl's milky white hands were out as if beckoning him to rise. There was a thin smile on her face.  
  
"Megan, what are you . . .?"  
  
"Stand up," Kuja hesitated, still afraid of the creeping darkness around him. Yet Megan's eyes were glittering in the light and a mysterious warmth seemed to come from her; not the creeping heat that the sorcerer felt in the blackness of his mind. With a single nod, he rose.  
  
"Come," Megan commanded, smiling. She was like a beacon of flames that chased away the darkness. Kuja's memories tugged angrily at his cloak and he could hear the voices of the past drifting around in the silence. He would not let them win . . .  
  
Nervously, the genome crept up to Megan's glowing form. The young Summoner smiled kindly and pulled him into a gentle embrace. Kuja couldn't help but sink into it. She was such a comforting presence in the darkness. He never wanted the moment to end . . . He closed his eyes, sighing, when he heard Megan's voice once more.  
  
". . . Can you see me . . .?"  
  
Kuja's brow furrowed and his eyes opened slowly. Everything was dark.  
  
". . . No . . ."  
  
"Poor baby . . ." Kuja could feel something around his eyes. Megan's arms remained wrapped around his neck, but she was tying something softly beneath his silver hair.  
  
She was blindfolding him . . .  
  
"Megan, why - ?"  
  
"Sh," the Summoner pressed a gentle finger to his lips. "No more words. You must allow the past to take you . . ."  
  
And at her command; and without Megan's light to guide him, Kuja allowed himself to sink into the perpetual blackness of his mind . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
". . . What are we going to do . . .?" Fratley queried hesitantly. No one could find it in their hearts to answer. The sun was beginning to rise, but its light could not erase the horrible images of the night. None of the crew had slept. For hours Kuja had sobbed in his fevered sleep, crying out strange things from his past and cursing at the spirits of the dead. He shivered constantly, yet there was nothing they could do for him. Beatrix had not left his side, even when he began screaming terrible oaths about her.  
  
Even as the general sat there, she could hear the silver-haired genome's delusional ranting ringing inside her mind . . .  
  
/Flash/  
  
"Why has the Rose of May abandoned me?!" he screamed, shaking his head furiously. "The Midnight Wanderer . . . in the Great Garden . . . Tangled in her accursed thorns! Seeing through the one eye that sees only evil! Only EVIL!!!"  
  
/Flash/  
  
Beatrix buried her face wearily in her hands, sighing deeply.  
  
"I don't know . . ." she muttered softly. Kuja had stopped screaming only an hour before and though it was less frightening, it was also a curse. Obviously, the poison had done its work and now he was finally . . .  
  
Kuja, who had already been pale, had lost any semblance of color. He was as white as the snow around them, and he scarcely breathed if at all. He was no longer hot, but freezing to the touch. His lips were tinged with blue, and it was difficult to even find a pulse . . .  
  
They still needed to find the Indomitable . . . but how? What could they do?  
  
"W-we could carry him . . ." Eiko offered, wincing at the thought.  
  
"We could . . ." Garnet affirmed. The idea was, of course, ludicrous. Not only would he slow them down, but if they were attacked, he would become another defenseless thing to protect. They drifted into silence once more. Zidane seemed lost in thought, his eyes out of focus as he gazed into the trees. Of all the crew member's present, Kuja's condition had hit Zidane the hardest. In the night, Kuja had cried out his brother's name angrily and cursed the boy who had replaced him . . . Suddenly, Zidane stood up, hauling his backpack from the snow and slinging it over his shoulder.  
  
"Zidane, what are you - ?"  
  
"We're leaving," Zidane said coldly, narrowing his blue eyes sharply.  
  
"Leaving?!" Lani cried. "But what about - ?!"  
  
"Leave him," Zidane snapped. "Just . . . leave him,"  
  
"But why?" Freya queried.  
  
"B-because . . ." Zidane whispered. "Ever since Kuja and I escaped the Iifa Tree, he's complained about being a burden. He hated himself for it . . . He WANTED to die. I just . . . wouldn't let him . . . He would rather perish alone on this god forsaken rock than drag us all to our deaths together. He's GOING to die . . . But in the process, he wouldn't want to be . . . to be a burden . . ."  
  
Zidane suddenly turned away, not wanting his companions - especially Garnet -to see him cry. When he spoke, his shaking voice was barely above a controlled whisper. ". . . Let's go . . ."  
  
The genome began to slouch away, shoulders slumped in misery. The others, hiding their tears as best they could, stood up and, murmuring silent prayers for their comrade's soul, left Kuja to his unavoidable doom . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Oh my god . . ." Dart whispered, clapping a hand over her mouth. "Th- they're leaving!"  
  
From their perch atop a snow-drenched hill, the two geonomes could only watch in horror as the crew abandoned one of their own behind.  
  
"Then . . . Then Kuja must have finally snuffed it!" Dart gasped. Ummei said nothing. He was staring down into the clearing where Kuja's body lay lifelessly in the snow. The Angel of Death truly looked angelic, lying there as pale as the winter's frost.  
  
"Hey, Ummei," Dart suddenly cut through the silence. "Why is it you can sense life and death in people . . .?"  
  
Ummei chewed his lip, concentrating hard on the answer. "I don't know," was all he could say. "Garland said we each had different traits of the original Drakja . . . Maybe the original could sense that kind of stuff . . ."  
  
Dart looked thoughtful. "Or maybe something happened to him that forced him to see life and death in such a way . . ."  
  
Of course, this statement was way over the top for Ummei and it would be several more days until the omega could process what Dart's words meant.  
  
"I guess we'd better go . . ." Dart said finally, standing up from her crouched position and twirling around to leave. "Garland will want to know what happened . . ."  
  
Ummei nodded, rising to his feet. But before the clearing had gone completely out of sight, Ummei stole one last glance back the Angel of Death. There was no death coming from the poor creature, only a muffled light . . .  
  
So before Ummei left, he smiled at his own little secret . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Come on!" Zidane shouted, tearing through the trees. "Hurry! Hurry!"  
  
The others fled as the sound of snapping twigs and rushing feet overwhelmed the air. They were being followed . . .  
  
"Aha!" The crew screeched to a halt as something popped out of thin air and shoved Zidane to the ground. He gasped, falling into Freya, who caught him out of sheer reflex.  
  
"Drakja!" Beatrix gasped. The towering geonome snickered as dozens of his kinsman began to appear out of the shadows of the trees. They'd been ambushed . . .  
  
"Thought I'd let you get away?" Drakja queried, grinning. "You must be dumber than I thought . . . After all, my mission comes first, doesn't it?"  
  
"No . . ." Zidane whispered, trembling. "No . . . This was all YOUR fault!!!" the genome scrambled angrily from Freya's arms and threw himself at Drakja. "I'll kill you!!!"  
  
Drakja simply laughed and brushed Zidane away with a wave of his hand. The blonde hit a glimmering magic barrier and was tossed backwards like a piece of string. He skidded in the snow and then lay there, shivering with rage. Drakja looked around, frowning.  
  
"What's this?" he seemed generally confused. "Why, where is our dear Kuja? Surely you would not leave him behind? Unless . . ." A smile broke out across Drakja's lips. "So Saishoja's heir has finally passed into the Shadow World? Ah, what a pity . . . But after all, it does take a lot of strength to carry one's sorry-ass brother all the way down a river, doesn't it?"  
  
"Shut . . . UP!!!" Zidane cried, struggling into a sitting position. "YOU are the one to blame! It's YOUR fault Quina died and Kuja was needlessly shot and it's YOUR fault I had to watch him suffer all night! But above all . . . IT WAS YOUR FAULT I HAD TO ABANDON HIM!!!"  
  
And at Zidane's trembling words, a blood-curdling howl filled the air, and a mile away, a cry arose from the Angel of Death's lips . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
". . . NO!!!"  
  
Kuja gasped, seized with uncomprehensible pain.  
  
"Shh . . . Shh . . . Don't move. I'm trying to help you . . ."  
  
Kuja, convulsing in burning agony, could barely understand the muffled words above him. It was a man talking and he could hear the sound of rustling beside his body and feel a cold hand upon his forehead. Someone was . . . helping him . . .?  
  
"Wh-who . . .?"  
  
"Shh . . . Please . . . Calm down and open your eyes . . . Hurry!"  
  
Kuja couldn't understand what was going on. The fever continued to scorch his insides and his wounds were blazing like fire. The sorcerer coughed, and he felt the warm blood run down his chin. He should have been dead . . . It was impossible to wake from the Sleep of Death the poison reaped upon its victim . . .  
  
"Please . . . Open your eyes . . ."  
  
Though Kuja didn't know why, he silently obeyed. Though they were open, it remained impressively dark. A ghostly hush fell upon his rescuer.  
  
"Dear god . . ." the warlock heard the man whisper from above him. ". . . I'm too late . . ." Kuja could feel himself drifting away. The voice was fading into oblivion.  
  
"No!" the newcomer shouted. "Don't you dare! Just relax . . . We need to talk. Don't move . . . and envision my voice . . ."  
  
Kuja, gasping for breath, silently obeyed. Slowly the world came back into focus. Someone was kneeling over him, looking anxiously into his face. Kuja could barely keep the image in focus . . . The man stood slowly, and Kuja took in his full appearance.  
  
He wasn't tall . . . nor did he appear powerful. The man was frail and sickly yet pulsing with a grand strength. But as Kuja's ruined eyes scanned over his rescuer's body, a fear began to creep into his heart.  
  
The long, silver hair that halfway became a braid which swept the ground, the pale, milky skin, the feminine figure, and hooked onto his old- fashioned Terran armor was a badge. Drakja's badge . . . only with the fork standing right-side-up. And though the man was blindfolded and an indescribable glow resonated off his form, there was no mistaking who Kuja was looking at . . .  
  
Himself . . .  
  
Or so it seemed. Kuja detected small differences, so small in fact that only one who had known him for years would have been able to detect them. Only one person had ever lived who had so closely resembled Kuja . . . And that man had died more than six-hundred years before.  
  
"S-Saishoja . . ." Kuja choked out in disbelief. His rescuer smiled thinly.  
  
". . . Yes . . ."  
  
"No . . ." Kuja shook his head as though willing it to be a dream, moaning at the pain that wracked his fevered mind. "No, you can't be here . . . You're dead . . . You've been dead for centuries . . ."  
  
"That's true. But does that condemn me to eternity away from this world?"  
  
"But then how . . .?" Kuja's eyes widened with fear. "You're a ghost!"  
  
The corner of Saishoja's lips twitched into a half-smile.  
  
"Not exactly," he said, sighing. "But I am, indeed, dead. There is no returning the dead to life, and no ghost of Terra can wander the world of Gaia, just as no ghost of Gaia can possibly find his way to the Red Moon . . ."  
  
"Th-then what are you?!"  
  
"Isn't it obvious?" Saishoja queried, holding out his arms. "I'm a soul,"  
  
"A soul?" Kuja felt faint trying to process all this information. It was all too much . . . too fast . . .  
  
"Yes, a soul. You of all people should understand," Saishoja said.  
  
"But why are you here? Why haven't you been absorbed into the Mist?"  
  
Saishoja laughed. "Not to be arrogant, Angel of Death, but I'm incredibly powerful. Garland had intended to seek me out after my death and use me to create you. But I slipped through his grasp time and time again until eventually he gave up and gave you the dying soul you possess now . . . It took Garland six-hundred years to give up on finding me. And after you were created, I watched over you and followed you here,"  
  
Kuja, coughing up still more blood, managed to find his voice. "But why?"  
  
Saishoja sighed and got down on one knee beside his predecessor. "To avoid this from happening . . ." he waved a hand over Kuja's body. "While I was alive, I swore to protect my heir, whoever he or she was. When I died so suddenly, I became restless and was able to escape the Iifa Tree. In affect, I became a wandering spirit. I cannot find peace until my mission is complete. I must save you and the two moons from Garland's evil ways . . ."  
  
/His heir . . .?/ Kuja thought thickly. /Of course . . . Saishoja's son died during birth . . . I am, technically, all he has left . . ./  
  
"You . . ." Kuja hissed. "You were the one that helped push me out of the ice-water . . . And you were the one that called those people back into me when I lost control at the castle . . . You . . . You've been following and protecting me for years!"  
  
Saishoja chuckled. "Yes, that's true . . . But you probably don't remember the greatest thing I ever did for you . . ."  
  
"Wh-what's that . . .?"  
  
The Terran warrior looked grave. "I am the one that told you not to kill Zidane when you were children . . ."  
  
Kuja's face darkened as he struggled to remember that event. Indeed, he did recall a strange sensation . . . As if a voice had whispered to his ears and told him to spare his brother's life. It was then that Kuja had abandoned Zidane on Gaia; whether out of pity or hatred he could not recall . . .  
  
"But what were you trying to prevent?" Kuja queried. "What is Garland doing?"  
  
Saishoja shook his head sadly, and Kuja couldn't help but stare at the black blindfold around the man's eyes.  
  
"He's trying to turn you into me," Saishoja said. "Because that would make you stronger, and that would make those things you harbor within yourself stronger as well,"  
  
Kuja tried to sit up but failed. "You know what they are?! Please, tell me!"  
  
Though Kuja could not see Saishoja's eyes, he knew the Terran was looking away sadly. The warlock could see Saishoja's silver tail now, curled up in the snow.  
  
". . . I cannot tell you . . ."  
  
"Wh . . . why not . . .?"  
  
Saishoja turned his face back in Kuja's direction and, grabbing the trailing end of black cloth behind him, he tore the blindfold from his eyes. Kuja had to stifle a scream.  
  
Saishoja's eyes were white, sightless orbs, glazed and milky in their blindness like the eyes of death. They did not look at Kuja, yet the sorcerer could feel Saishoja's saddened gaze upon him.  
  
". . . Because the truth would kill you . . ."  
  
Kuja could not breathe in his shock. He knew, though he wasn't sure how, that as he gazed into Saishoja's cold, unseeing eyes, he was looking into a mirror image of himself. His own eyes were now like his predecessor's, and it was only by a miracle of magic that he was even seeing Saishoja now.  
  
He was blind . . . Just like Saishoja . . .  
  
"Then . . . Then Garland has succeeded . . ." Kuja whispered, his whitened eyes glistening with tears. "The poison has robbed me of my vision . . ."  
  
A small smile spread across Saishoja's lips and he carefully wrapped the blindfold around his eyes once more. "Not quite yet. And I'm going to help him,"  
  
"Wh-what do you mean?"  
  
"Because while Garland may have succeeded in reducing you to my blindness, you have not achieved the power I, myself, was able to harness centuries ago," Saishoja leaned in slightly, and once more Kuja could feel the eerie gaze upon his face. "I was born blind and I died blind," Saishoja explained. "I was an outcast, abandoned by all my family but my mother. I had no friends, no companions, and the children at school beat me up at least three times a day. Terra was only concerned with the affairs of soldiers, something I could never be. So I wished hard enough, and I tried . . . And then I saw,"  
  
". . . I do not understand . . ."  
  
Saishoja laughed. "There is nothing to understand. If you truly wish to see, then you shall. Though my eyes remained useless, I was able to see the world around me. I even became a general. If you truly wish to see, you can . . . And I will help you,"  
  
Kuja shook his head angrily. "NO! That will make me more like you!"  
  
"Yes!" Saishoja chimed. "Yes! Powerful enough to defeat Garland! Do you wish to save your companions?"  
  
". . . Yes . . ."  
  
"Do you want to defeat Garland?"  
  
". . . Yes,"  
  
"Then go!" Saishoja cried, rising suddenly to his feet. "Go! Save them now; hurry! Drakja is already on their trail! He cannot rest until he has defeated me, and with you dead, his only means of fulfilling his lust is to destroy your siblings!"  
  
Kuja, with a gasp, leapt to his feet. " . . . Zidane . . .!" His wounds screamed in pain, yet he could not feel them anymore. All was dark, and now that Saishoja was no longer aiding him with magic, his vision was gone save his savior's ethereally glowing figure. Saishoja smiled and moved up to Kuja's side. Gently, he placed a hand upon the sorcerer's forehead and muttered something in Ancient Terran.  
  
"Now put me to rest . . ." he murmured softly. Then everything came into focus once more . . .  
  
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A/N: Ehe, I was supposed to write more, but this got too long so I cut it off. Ah well . . . So now the mystery of Saishoja is revealed. Poor bugger . . . He's all handicapped and stuff . . . We learn a little more about how he sees in the next chapter but it's no big deal. I'm just afraid of the Kuja fangirls . . . They're gonna kill me . . . Wait, I'm a fangirl too! No . . . Hand . . . edging . . . towards . . . gun . . . Poor Kuja-sama! But please, put away your weapons! He's not, like, blind- blind. Saishoja's helping him, remember?! Just keep your cool and everything will work out *tugs on collar nervously* Ooh, for those interested, I saw the new Jump Festa trailer for Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children and it's almost 100% positive Vincent Valentine's going to be in the movie!!! *has a heart-attack* We see him jump all mysterious-like out of a tree and drop towards the camera with the moon silhouetting him from behind. You can only tell it's him 'cause of the funky boots and the cape . . . And if you freeze it, the person has his shape and someone (with no life, but a saint anyways) froze the shot when his face was in the camera and he has RED EYES!!! *screams and huggles Vinny* Phew. Okay, I feel better now . . . REVIEWWEIVER!!! 


	33. The BlindSight

A/N: Eep! Longest gap between updates yet! Gomen! Gomen! *Bows down to the great readers (particularly the reviewers, hint-hint)* I so sorry! I had final exams, and a sleepover, and I'm lazy and GAH, FORGIVE ME!!! On top of that, a reviewer asked a question three chapters ago and I didn't answer it (I suck!). Isn't this pathetic how I grovel at the feet of the reviewers . . . Think about it. I'm at your mercy ^_^ Um, Jukka Bushtail (yay for Redwall!) asked how to pronounce "Trepe" as in Quistis Trepe, I presume. I asked my parents, and they both agree it's probably pronounced "Trape." Like, say the word "tray" and then add a "p" sound on the end ^_^ Also, Poohsbestfriend (Triss, if anyone's wonderin') said FOOLISHLY in a review that I didn't like Quina . . . Gah, I NEVER SAID THAT!!! She's hearing things, geez . . . I DON'T SENSELESSLY KILL CHARACTERS WITHOUT A PURPOSE!!! *huff* Also, I got another question about RotD sketches, so read my A/N at the bottom for info on that (important!).  
  
Disclaimer: f||\|4|_ f4|\|+45y |5|\|'+ /\/\||\|3!!! (Ha! Try to read THAT, lawyers!)  
  
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"There's a time to live, and there's a time to die. But no one can escape their destiny."  
  
- Destiny, Stratovarius  
  
"IT WAS YOUR FAULT I HAD TO ABANDON HIM!!!"  
  
Zidane's echoing voice spiralled out into the dismal silence of the Forgotten Continent. The forest immediately seemed to come alive. Birds, screeching in anger at the rude interruption, flurried like black clouds into the air. Snow seemed to tumble, unbidden, from the trees. From nowhere, plant-life in all its frozen glory began to stir. The very air seemed to tremble at Zidane's explosive words.  
  
Drakja blinked, surprised at the boy's sudden outburst, and frowned as he felt the uneasiness of the forest's soul around them. His hair lifted off his shoulders in a breeze that seemed to make him all the more uncomfortable. The other geonomes bristled, the fur of their tails lifting nervously. No one dared to breathe. Then the presence seemed to lift, leaving them all breathless, and Drakja smirked.  
  
"Brave, my dear Angel, very brave," slowly he raised his arm, the nozzle of the red gun pressed firmly against Zidane's forehead. Zidane, who sat shivering in the snow as he recovered from his fury, could only glare furiously at the merciless assailant.  
  
"Unfortunately . . ." Drakja purred. "It was incredibly foolish as well . . ."  
  
Zidane winced and closed his eyes, awaiting the shot and the blackness of death to finally close in around him. He'd escaped death before already . . . But this time there was no Qu to sacrifice his life for the genome . . . and no brother to shield his body from the pain. And though Zidane wished they weren't, his final thoughts were plain as day:  
  
/I wish I wasn't so helpless . . ./  
  
"DRAKJA!!!"  
  
"Eh?" Drakja lifted his head at the sound of the voice, his finger twitching dangerously on the trigger. Then his emerald eyes bulged in horror.  
  
"Don't - TOUCH HIM!!!" Kuja seemed to come from nowhere, one fist raised as he charged like a bullet through the air. Drakja swerved out of the way just in time and Zidane let out a fierce cry as he suddenly high-kicked the gun from Drakja's hand. It flew through the air and landed, clattering, a few feet away. Kuja skidded and twirled around, aiming another punch at Drakja's face. The other geonomes pulled back, having not been given orders to attack (Drakja was ready to scream "cowards!" any second). The other group members were too stunned by Kuja's sudden appearance to react.  
  
"You sick bastard!" Kuja screamed, stumbling as Drakja leapt out of the way. The silver-haired genome, looking the epitome of fury, whipped around and froze Drakja's very soul with a piercing glare that would have speared the dead.  
  
A piercing glare that was as white as snow . . .  
  
The air in the clearing seemed to vanish as if a giant vacuum of silence was sucking the breath out of every person there.  
  
Zidane couldn't even speak. It felt as if there was a lump forming in his throat that was slowly but surely cutting off his voice. /Kuja . . ./  
  
The feather-haired sorcerer was snarling angrily, whitened eyes ablaze. "You are DISGUSTING!!!" he screamed, pointing an accusing finger at Drakja. "What, do you just wait until I'm out of the way before destroying my comrades?! You got what you wanted, NOW GET OUT OF HERE!!!"  
  
Drakja was staring at Kuja's eyes as if in a trance. He seemed beyond thought or reason as he stood there, his emerald pupils dilated by some muddled muse.  
  
"Are you listening?!" Kuja snapped. "LEAVE!!! Haven't you caused us enough grief already?! Go on! Return to your omnipotent master! Crawl into the safety of his traitorous arms and may you suffocate there!"  
  
/It's all inevitable . . ./  
  
Zidane, who was still kneeling in the snow, jerked at the sound of the voice. He sensed a presence in the trees, yet it would not reveal itself. Faintly, on the breeze, he heard its words:  
  
/Kuja must become me . . . It is destiny . . . But to become me . . . He must bear my wounds . . . It is inevitable . . . And he will understand it before the end . . ./  
  
For some reason, as the spirit seemed to lift, Zidane took this as a warning. Nervously, he turned his face back towards Drakja and Kuja. And just in time, too.  
  
Drakja's fingers were moving ever so slowly towards his belt. It was such a slow, fluid motion that had obviously been perfected for years that not one person seemed to notice the action. His hand twitched as it brushed the warm, familiar hilt of his sword. Zidane had to stifle a gasp as Drakja's fingers gripped the weapon and slowly twisted it from its sheathe. It was the lowest, dirtiest, and cheapest trick Zidane had ever seen.  
  
If Kuja was blind - as unfortunately seemed to be the case - then he wouldn't even know Drakja had unsheathed a weapon until it was wedged into his guts. Now the others seemed to notice, and a stiffness like metal filled the clearing. If they called out, Drakja would simply swing. If they made a dive, another life would be lost.  
  
Kuja couldn't see the sword . . . It was all inevitable . . . The sword was drawn so slowly and so carefully that it didn't even make a sound. Then Drakja held it out, clenched between his fingers so hard his knuckles turned white. A smirk spread irresistibly across his lips and he glanced around at his enemies with those shocking green eyes as if daring them to call out to their doomed comrade.  
  
Zidane's voice was stuck heavy in his throat. / . . . KUJA . . .!!!/  
  
/No . . . It can't all be inevitable . . . It can't!!! Kuja!!!/  
  
Kuja didn't move. He was completely unaware of the sword as it was raised ever so lethargically over Drakja's head. The geonome was trembling with excitement. One cut and it would all be over . . . One cut, and Drakja would win . . . Screw Garland, only vengeance mattered.  
  
/Vengeance for what?/  
  
/I don't know . . ./  
  
No one moved. All was still. Drakja grinned and like a lead weight, the sword began its descent . . .  
  
"DROP YOUR WEAPON!!!"  
  
Kuja face was twisted in anger and he spoke in a voice so explosive that Drakja stumbled backwards as if struck in the face by a mallet. The emerald-eyed geonome stood there, dumbfounded, as Kuja seethed in a rage.  
  
"You scum!" Kuja cried. "Didn't Garland ever teach you any manners?! It's not nice to attack disabled people, you know!"  
  
Drakja was at a loss for words, still clutching his sword as if it were glued to his hands. "B-but . . . But how . . .?"  
  
Kuja smirked. "Oh please, Drakja . . . You didn't honestly think I would let a handicap keep me from defeating my enemies . . . You know me better than that,"  
  
Drakja pulled back as if horrified by something. He seemed to be lost in another time, another place. He squeezed his eyes shut as if blinded by some pain.  
  
/Flash/  
  
"This is where I leave you. I do not approve, but . . ."  
  
The little boy was barely listening as his emerald green eyes became fixed upon the door. His father was muttering something about poor taste in friends but the child didn't hear it. He'd already heard it before . . . Every day of his short life . . .  
  
"Okay, Drakja? I'm going. I'll pick you up later,"  
  
The boy hesitated. "You're not going to go in at all . . .?"  
  
The man above him, so like the boy in appearance, snorted. "Isra can live without hearing my blessings . . . She'll get none from me, I assure you,"  
  
Drakja frowned. "And Saishoja . . .?"  
  
The man laughed a deep, bellowing laugh as if this were the funniest thing he'd ever heard. "Drakja, I must say you have the WORST taste in friends! How can you possibly stand being around that child?! He has NO idea what you look like!"  
  
". . . He doesn't have to know . . ."  
  
"He is a failure,"  
  
Drakja stared up at his father in disbelief. This man, Uragiru, had once been a captain. A great captain. Drakja had perhaps once respected him. But this . . . This was so . . .  
  
Ignorant . . .  
  
Drakja didn't move as his father gave him a light pat on the shoulder. "I'll be going now. Try not to, er, step on Saishoja, okay?"  
  
/Liar. You're hoping he'll die, aren't you, Father? You're hoping he'll stumble off a ledge and fall to his death, aren't you Father? Father?!/  
  
But Uragiru was already gone, and Drakja, without realizing it, had already knocked twice upon the door.  
  
It creaked open cautiously as if the person on the other side feared bloody murder. However, when said person realized who it was, the door swung open jovially.  
  
"Drakja, hello!"  
  
Drakja bowed his head in respect of the slender, beautiful woman above him. She was stunning indeed and though he had known her nearly his entire life, she had never ceased to draw breath from him. Her silvery hair seemed to glitter as it caught the light and her bright blue eyes, though sad, were full of youthful energy.  
  
"Please, come in!" Isra stepped out of the way and allowed Drakja to enter into the house. "You're looking for Saishoja, I take it?" Drakja nodded. "Yes, he's out back. He'll be happy to see you I'm sure . . . But just between you and me . . ." Isra brought her voice down to a hush as she followed the young boy into the house. "Saishoja's been acting weird lately . . . So don't be mad if he's a little crabby,"  
  
Drakja nodded. "I shall heed your warning . . ."  
  
"Such formality!" Isra scolded. "You don't need to be so stiff around me!"  
  
". . . My father is . . ."  
  
Isra, ironically, stiffened quite considerably at the comment. However, she let it slide with a faint smile.  
  
Drakja, as he had done so many times before, wove his way through the house until he was standing at the back door. He opened it slowly, knowing if Saishoja was nearby he would startle easily. However, a strange sound was coming from the back . . . One he knew all too well . . . yet had never expected to hear there . . .  
  
Swordplay. Someone was practicing with a sword outside . . . He could hear the rhythmical swooping and slicing of the blade as it tore through the air; a sound that had been pounded into his psyche since birth (courtesy of his father, of course). But who would be doing that here? Curiosity getting the better of him, Drakja crept outside and snuck around to the far end of the back, near the giant tree that had always marked Isra's property.  
  
What he saw, however, caused his blood to run stone cold.  
  
There was Saishoja, in all his pathetic glory, swinging that blade violently through the air. A dummy - crudely made - was hanging like a strung corpse from the tree. Drakja's mouth was wide open at the sight. Saishoja cut a very scary figure there. Though two years older than Drakja, he was small . . . Not even five feet yet . . . The sword was huge in comparison to his body . . . and his sightless eyes were, of course, not following its movements . . .  
  
Yet if Drakja had taken the time to truly watch Saishoja before he charged ahead, he would have noticed that Saishoja's movements were graceful; like he was dancing . . . His silver hair swooped through the air as he twirled, bringing the blade swiftly down, then back up as he twirled around. But in his fear, Drakja raced forward in a panic and knocked Saishoja to the ground, wrenching the sword from his hands.  
  
Saishoja, shocked, coughed and struggled as Drakja's weight came down atop him.  
  
"D-Drakja, what the hell do you think you're doing?!" Saishoja made a desperate grab for the weapon, but Drakja threw it off to the side, furious.  
  
"Saishoja, are you INSANE?!!!"  
  
"Drakja, I - "  
  
Drakja was beside himself with fury. "Saishoja, you KNOW you can't handle a sword! Do you want to KILL yourself?!"  
  
Saishoja, snarling, sat up suddenly and shoved Drakja off his thin body. "Drakja, I KNOW what I'm doing!"  
  
"I don't think you do!" Drakja countered, sitting up with equal rage. "Saishoja, I know you don't want to accept it but . . . But you're blind! You can't swing a dangerous weapon through the air if . . . IF YOU CAN'T SEE IT!"  
  
This seemed to strike a painful cord with Saishoja. He flinched, bleached eyes angry, and then he smiled a cold, uneasy smile. He laughed, too. Drakja had never seen him laugh. Never. With a chuckle, Saishoja stood, wobbling, to his feet and retrieved his sword. Drakja opened his mouth again to speak, but Saishoja held up a hand to silence him. If Drakja had been thinking clearly, he would have been stunned by this action . . . Saishoja had just done something impossible . . . He'd held up a hand . . . and Drakja hadn't made a sound . . .  
  
"Drakja . . . I can do this . . ." he lifted the sword and then held it out so that the point was directly in Drakja's face. Drakja flinched (and understandably so, as a blind kid with no experience was holding a sharp weapon right between his eyes).  
  
"S-Saishoja . . . Put that down . . ."  
  
". . . No . . . I can handle it . . ."  
  
"But Saishoja . . ."  
  
The silver-haired boy laughed yet again and suddenly swung around. His blade screamed through the air and made the cleanest, most precise cut Drakja had ever seen straight across the dummy's neck. The body, now completely severed from the head, fell with a wet slump to the grass below. The head remained hanging by a thin cord from the tree, the stuffing still drifting lazily from its severed neck.  
  
Drakja's eyes were bugging out of his head.  
  
"Saishoja . . . How did you . . .?"  
  
"I don't know," the young boy, still clutching the sword, shrugged. "I guess I just wanted . . . I wanted to be like everybody else . . . So I told myself I could do it, and . . ."  
  
"Do what?" Drakja queried, rising unsteadily to his feet. Saishoja didn't respond. Drakja's forehead creased suspiciously.  
  
"Do what, Saishoja?"  
  
There was a moment of hesitation, and then the silver-haired youth's lips twitched into a grin.  
  
". . . See . . ."  
  
"See?" Drakja's brain felt clogged. This was too much to process at one time. "See? What do you mean, see?"  
  
Saishoja's white eyes seemed sad and he came slowly up to his friend's side and placed a hand against his cheek, just as he had always done before. But this time he didn't fumble. His movements were graceful and precise.  
  
"Right now . . ." Saishoja whispered. "You're face is confused . . . strained . . . You look like you don't understand . . . You think I'm a fool . . ."  
  
Drakja couldn't bring himself to ask how Saishoja knew this. He'd always been able to freely show facial expressions in the presence of Isra's son. After all, Saishoja couldn't see them . . .  
  
There were tears in Saishoja's eyes now. "Your hair . . . It's darker in color than mine . . ." he seemed to be tasting the word "darker" as if it were a foreign food. "And you're taller . . . And your eyes are . . . the color of the grass . . . They're . . . pretty . . ."  
  
There were tears streaming down Drakja's face now, too. They wouldn't stop coming and he didn't want them to.  
  
"Saishoja . . . Y-you . . . can see!"  
  
Saishoja let out a dry sob. ". . . I know . . ."  
  
Suddenly, the two friends, having crashed down a barrier that would have once forever divided them in life, threw their arms around each other and cried. It seemed the tears would never stop coming as the two boys clutched each other, sobbing. They remained like that for quite some time; neither able to let go.  
  
"But Saishoja . . . How . . .?" Drakja had to ask between hiccups as he pulled back and wiped his eyes on his sleeve. "How is this possible . . .?"  
  
Saishoja's face became serious and he frowned. "Every day," he whispered softly. "I tried to see . . . Every day . . . My mother said I could do anything I set my mind to . . . So I tried . . . Then that day those kids beat me up in the park . . ." Drakja blanched. He would never forget that day. His father had stood there, laughing, as Saishoja cried. How Isra had looked so angry; her pretty face taut with rage. "Everything just suddenly made sense . . . I-I thought of my father . . . Who abandoned me so young . . . He said I was worthless . . . He was going to kill me but my mother stopped him . . . He wanted to hurt her so bad . . . I was angry . . . And then I saw . . ."  
  
"Saishoja . . . This is a miracle!"  
  
The silver-haired boy shook his head. "Oh please, Drakja . . . You didn't honestly think I would let a handicap keep me from defeating my enemies . . . You know me better than that,"  
  
/Flash/  
  
Drakja stumbled, clutching his head in agony. Then his emerald eyes snapped open, flames burning beneath his lids.  
  
/No . . . Garland, you . . . YOU TRICKED ME!!!/  
  
"All this time . . . It's been nothing . . . but a test!"  
  
He saw Kuja staring at him . . . Staring at him with ruined eyes that still saw . . .  
  
/The Blind-Sight . . ./  
  
"R-retreat!" Drakja cried furiously, backing up as if cornered by some invisible force. "Everyone! Out of here! GO!!!"  
  
The geonomes, frightened out of their wits, nodded and began to teleport away with hasty little pops. Drakja threw Kuja one last look before teleporting himself. But the look was like nothing Kuja or any of the others had ever seen before. It wasn't a look of anger or hatred . . .  
  
It was fear . . .  
  
And then he, too, was gone . . .  
  
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". . . Kuja . . .?"  
  
No one wanted to be the first to speak, so Beatrix took it upon herself to break the silence. They all stood there in the clearing still, staring at the spot where just moments ago over fifty geonomes had stood. Never before had such an uncomfortable unease fallen upon the team. No one dared look Kuja in the eye . . . How could they?  
  
"Kuja?" Beatrix tried again. Kuja didn't move. His whitened eyes were fixed upon the spot where Drakja had been stationed seconds earlier. He just couldn't figure it out . . . For the briefest of moments - nothing more than a pinprick in time - Drakja had shown true fear. But of what? What was it that had scared the villain so bad? He could have killed them all easily (he certainly had the manpower behind him). Yet he had chosen to retreat. Why? Kuja was snapped out of his thoughts when a gentle hand came down upon his shoulder. Beatrix was looking fearfully into Kuja's face with her one good eye.  
  
"Kuja are you . . . alright?" Of course, they all knew what she meant to ask: was he even real? They had all seen him only a half an hour before, lying inches from death in a clearing . . . Yet he had suddenly come from nowhere . . . completely fine except . . .  
  
". . . I'm sorry . . ." Kuja blinked, surprised.  
  
"Sorry for what?"  
  
"About . . . You know . . ."  
  
Kuja touched his face as if in a dream. What did he look like now? Was he a monster? His eyes . . . did they . . . look like Garland's now? Like sheets of empty snow?  
  
". . . Don't be . . ."  
  
Zidane was wringing his fingers nervously. "Kuja, are you sure you're okay? I mean, you were so sick before . . . and your injuries . . ."  
  
As if in response to this, Kuja suddenly swayed, coughing. Beatrix quickly caught him and helped the sorcerer steady himself.  
  
"Kuja, are you sure you're alright?" It was Garnet this time, and she was peering suspiciously at Kuja's shuddering form. However, the warlock let out an angry grunt and shoved himself out of Beatrix's arms.  
  
"I told you . . . I'M FINE!!!"  
  
There was a ringing silence. Beatrix hesitated, then glanced at Zidane. Zidane didn't return the look.  
  
"Shouldn't we be going?" Kuja growled. More silence.  
  
"I-I guess we could . . ." Garnet scratched her head. Kuja nodded, finally satisfied. The others, albeit reluctantly, began to turn around to leave. They continued to shoot Kuja suspicious/worried looks out of the corners of their eyes as they moved away, still silent with shock. He returned them only with bleached death-glares, still coughing rather violently into his hands. They weren't going to ask him how he could see. He could tell them later. At that particular moment he seemed far to furious . . .  
  
"Are you absolutely positive you're alright?" Beatrix queried one last time as she, too, began to leave. Kuja nodded angrily, coughing.  
  
"I'm FINE! Please . . . Just leave me alone . . ."  
  
Beatrix sighed, shrugging. Zidane looked equally as concerned. However, his thoughts were elsewhere.  
  
/That's twice Kuja's saved my life now . . . I'm so helpless . . . All this time, and I've done nothing for him . . ./  
  
And so Zidane made himself a promise; one to which he told no one else about.  
  
/I will save his life before the end . . . I WILL return the favor . . ./  
  
Kuja waited while the team departed, still coughing painfully into his hands. Once he was sure they wouldn't turn around again, the silver-haired genome crouched down and wiped the blood from his hands into the snow . . .  
  
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"You've been playing me false for years, haven't you, Garland?! Yeah, that's right! I'm not a complete idiot, you know! All this time you've been feeding me LIES!!! Telling me you want me to shoot the Angel of Death and never telling me why . . . And giving me orders about what you want me to do with Kuja . . . when all you've been doing is watching - testing him! Is this all a game for you, Garland?! Huh?! Do you find this funny or something?! You're keeping captive a Summoner that can't Summon, a prophet that won't talk, a genome you said has a 'purpose' yet you haven't done a bloody thing with her, and at least a hundred prisoners that sit there doing NOTHING!!! You treat us like dirt! You never tell us our purpose! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING WITH US?!!"  
  
Garland sat there calmly upon the throne of the Indomitable, his face remaining completely expressionless as Drakja vented his years of pent-up rage. If any of this was fazing Garland he wasn't showing it in the least. For several minutes he simply allowed the geonome to scream and rant in his own fury. Then, when Drakja had calmed down (or possibly tired himself out) Garland finally spoke.  
  
"You misunderstand my intentions, Drakja," the overlord said softly, looking strangely tired as Drakja stood there, distinctly ruffled. "This is not a game . . . and I am not testing Kuja . . ."  
  
"You are too . . ." Drakja whined feebly, his maturity level slipping away quite steadily. "You wanted me to blind the Angel of Death just to see if he could obtain the Blind-Sight like Saishoja . . .!"  
  
Garland flinched, then smiled. "Ah, so you know about that, do you?"  
  
"I DO NOW!!" Drakja seemed to have recovered very quickly. "Why didn't you tell me Saishoja was blind?! Or that you altered Kuja not to be?! WHY DON'T YOU TELL MY ANYTHING?!"  
  
Garland smirked slightly. "Well, if you wish to know so much, then it would be wise to close your mouth and allow me to explain myself . . ."  
  
Drakja opened his mouth to respond (most likely nothing nice was going to come out of it), caught himself, and shut it hurriedly with a nod. Though he was silent, his emerald eyes were glowing with suspicion. Garland took a deep breath.  
  
"You see, Drakja, in affect I've been helping you," Drakja's mouth sprang open once more as if out of reflex but Garland held up a steady hand. "You know your mission, of course, with that gun . . . But if you were to use it now, it would be nearly worthless. Why? Because Kuja is - for lack of a better word - a weakling. Sure, he is one of my most powerful creations . . . But years of abuse have drained him; left him useless to me. His soul should have fled his body years ago, but it lingers there, ruining him . . ."  
  
Drakja seemed confused by all this, but Garland pressed on nonetheless.  
  
"Saishoja, on the other hand, was born with natural power. He was unstoppable, even in death. Kuja is of Saishoja's very flesh and blood. In affect, he IS Saishoja . . . If I were to revert him back to that form, Kuja, too, would become unstoppable . . . By blinding him and forcing him to See, I have begun to recreate Saishoja. Then, when he is of Saishoja's strength, we will initiate the plan,"  
  
"But if Kuja's so weak, then how was he able to achieve Blind-Sight in less than an hour when it took Saishoja almost ten years?!" Drakja accused. Garland's eyes flashed.  
  
"Do you not know?" he queried. "I told you, Saishoja was unstoppable even in death. His spirit escaped my grasp and hovers on this planet. By blinding his one heir - that which he swore to protect - and making him realize my plans, I have flushed Saishoja out of his very own grave!"  
  
". . . What . . .?"  
  
"Yes, that's right. Saishoja himself appeared before Kuja and gave him the Blind-Sight. Saishoja's been helping him all along and will continue to do so for eternity. I'm not strong enough to defeat him. For that, I need souls. More souls, Drakja! I crave them, do you understand me?! I will take the souls of the genomes; that's why they sit so miserably in their cells. I need the souls of the Eidolons, which Kuja failed to bring to me almost fifteen years ago! For that, I need a Summoner. Do you understand now? I need souls! Enough souls to destroy Saishoja's will and absorb him into myself; finally capturing him! And then, with the power those souls bring me, I will achieve a new state of being . . . And use that power and the Theory of Planetary Magnetism to assimilate Gaia and Terra as I should have done centuries ago!"  
  
Drakja was shocked dumb, unable to even utter a word. The plan . . . It was delectably flawless . . .! Garland was truly the master of villainy . . .!  
  
". . . Whoa . . ."  
  
"Yes . . . Whoa . . ." Garland sighed. "Do you see now why you must not accuse me so? We are on the same side, Drakja, remember? By restoring my race, I will restore yours as well. I have never, ever lied to you . . . About anything . . ."  
  
Drakja nodded, but there was something eating at him that he couldn't describe. He didn't know why, but as Garland spoke those trusting words, he felt something in the room. Something strange. Like mockery . . . Garland's words still nagged at him. He had seen before, this inseparable friendship Drakja and Saishoja had had. They had seemed so close in flashbacks; such good friends. Even when Saishoja's wife and son had perished, Drakja had been there to console him. So what had driven them apart? Why had they suddenly become enemies fighting on opposite sides to destroy the other. Why had the original Drakja so mercilessly slaughtered Saishoja off the battlefield. Why, why, why? There was something Garland wasn't telling him . . . And that was when Drakja knew: Garland was not to be trusted . . . Drakja, still attempting to grasp some accusation in his defense, finally looked up angrily.  
  
"Then what of the purple-eyed prophet?! What do you intend to do with her?! Feed her to the geonomes?!"  
  
At this, Garland suddenly seemed to be in rapture. His eyes were glowing brilliantly, and a sinister smile spread across his lips.  
  
"I have wonderful news about that, my dear Demon of Death . . ."  
  
"Yeah? Well what the fuck is it?"  
  
"You may release her - and the Summoner!"  
  
Drakja reeled at the sheer impact of this request. "R-RELEASE THEM?!! B- but sir! You did nothing with them!"  
  
Garland grinned. "Oh, they were both useless to me. The Summoner has been deactivated for years and the prophet told me all I needed to know, although she did not realize it . . . You see, my plan is foolproof now. Nothing can go wrong now that Saishoja has been successfully flushed out of hiding. Now I shall tell you what I need you to do,"  
  
Drakja leaned in, listening intently. Finally, after so long, his mission would become clear.  
  
"You and the other geonomes . . . You need to get me souls,"  
  
Drakja breathed in sharply. "Kuja's old task . . ."  
  
"Yes," Garland sneered. "Yes, you must do it for me . . . I am going to return to our base; I'm leaving the ship to you and the geonomes. I'm taking all the genomes including the third-soul genome Mikoto with me. I will give you the Indomitable to do with it what you wish . . . Just bring me souls . . ."  
  
Drakja nodded. "And the Angels of Death? Shall I kill their comrades?"  
  
Garland shrugged. "If you'd like. Really, it doesn't matter anymore. I'd prefer that Zidane lives, but if you kill him it would mean nothing to me. HOWEVER . . . Kuja has a different part in this plan . . ."  
  
". . . Yes . . .?"  
  
"Listen carefully," Garland instructed. "Kuja is becoming Saishoja, but he doesn't realize it yet. You will keep him alive until he does . . . And then . . ."  
  
"You will use the Metsubo . . ."  
  
A hush seemed to fall upon the room at these words. Drakja's eyes widened. The Metsubo . . . Finally, after long last . . . He could use the Metsubo.  
  
". . . Do you understand me, Drakja?"  
  
"Yes, sir," was all the young Terran managed to squeak out.  
  
"Good. Now I want you to take the prophet and the Summoner and release them back to their comrades. Track down Zidane and the others and turn the prisoners over to them directly,"  
  
"But why?"  
  
Garland chuckled. "To make a statement, Drakja, to make a statement,"  
  
"It's all inevitable . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Standing hidden among the shadows outside the door, a pair of sinister green eyes narrowed and heavily painted lips grinned. Lulian couldn't help but laugh softly to herself.  
  
"So the dear little Summoner will be returning to her knight in shining armor . . .? Villain or not, no one can escape Kuja's beauty . . . She will definitely still have feeling for him . . . There is no doubt . . ."  
  
Lulian glanced down at her leg, where the claw-like scars still shone pink and ugly from Kuja's Flare Star. Then she smiled with malicious joy.  
  
"I shall make them both suffer . . . Myself . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Alright, come on! Move it! Hurry up!"  
  
Megan felt the fingers grip her arms tightly but was too dazed to notice. Her head felt like a lead weight as she felt herself thrown unceremoniously over someone's broad shoulders. For a moment there was nothing but the sensation of being severely jostled, and then Megan found herself crumpled on the floor outside a door. She groaned and pushed herself up slightly, only to feel a foot come down on her back.  
  
"Stay there!"  
  
/Like I have a choice . . . bastard . . ./  
  
She heard the sound of a door creaking open and then a heated conversation. In her muddled state, the Summoner was only able to pick out a few choice words.  
  
"You heard . . . the witch . . . Orders . . ."  
  
"But . . . do anything . . ."  
  
"Master said . . . not my problem . . . Orders . . ."  
  
"But . . ."  
  
There was a smack, and then silence. Megan strained her glazed eyes to see what had happened (though movement was limited with at least a hundred pounds on her back). That omega geonome . . . The poor kid that always guarded the other prisoners. That jerk-off geonome on her back had just smacked him!  
  
/How awful!/ Megan thought sympathetically as the younger geonome, clutching his raw face, stumbled back into the darkness of the boiler-room to do whatever he'd been told to and resisted doing. /God, they even treat EACH OTHER like shit! I can't believe I pity that poor little guy . . ./  
  
Finally the omega (what was his name again? Ummei?) shuffled his way back to the door with another person beside him. Megan gasped painfully beneath the boot. The purple-eyed woman from before! Were they going to . . . kill her?  
  
/No! They can't!/  
  
But suddenly the purple-eyed woman, with a slight snarl, was grabbed by the hem of her cloak and tossed over the other arm of the older geonome who promptly removed his foot from Megan's back and slung her over his shoulders like a sack of potatoes. He paused a moment to gain his balance (after all, he did have two women hoisted across his neck) and then muttered a quick "Serves you right, Ummei . . . Defying orders . . ." before turning down the hall to go.  
  
Megan blinked thickly for a moment. "Uh . . . Miss?" she glanced at the purple-eyed mage slung limply on the other side of the geonome's shoulders. The two of them bounced along with the man's footsteps.  
  
". . . Oh, it's you . . . Hi,"  
  
Megan bit her lip. "Any idea where we're going . . .?"  
  
". . . Yes,"  
  
"Wanna tell me . . .?"  
  
"I don't think you want to know . . ."  
  
Megan gulped. /They're going to kill us and feed us to the geonomes, I just know it! Oh god . . . Oh Bahamut . . . Oh Shiva . . . I don't wanna be turned into geonome - /  
  
Megan was shocked into silence when the ground suddenly began to loom at a frighteningly fast speed.  
  
"Eek!"  
  
Megan shielded her face from the leering steel floor, noting faintly that that ass of a geonome and shoved both her and the woman upside-down off his shoulders like pieces of dust. However, the violet-eyed mage, right in the nick of time, cast Float on both herself and Megan. The two hit the ground softly and then spun around to figure out where they were.  
  
". . . Outside . . .?"  
  
Indeed, the icy, biting, chewing air of the Forgotten Continent had never felt so sweet. Only a few inches lay between them and the threshold of the door to freedom. For a moment, Megan debated making a run for it. But then she didn't have to . . .  
  
"Ah, so here they are . . ." a smooth voice articulated from above. Megan looked up fearfully as she meet those ever familiar sinister green eyes.  
  
/Damn it . . . Why is it Drakja always has to show up . . .?!/  
  
"Are you ready to take them, sir?"  
  
"Yes, yes . . . But god damn do I hate the weather out here . . ." Drakja made a face as a cold gust of wind billowed in through the open door of the ship and tossed his long, mahogany hair into his face. "Have Zidane and the others been tracked down?"  
  
The purple-eyed woman perked up immediately at the sound of Zidane's name but Drakja ignored her.  
  
"Yes, sir," the other geonome responded blandly. "It seems they were searching for the Indomitable all along . . . They're only a few miles short of here,"  
  
"Good, good . . ." Drakja bent down and, much to their dismay, hoisted Megan and the prophet over his shoulders once more.  
  
"Damn it!" Megan cursed as she realized their combined weight did nothing to faze the slim yet powerful man. His arms felt like a vice. Chance of escape . . . zero.  
  
"Well, I'll be going then," Drakja drawled, sighing. "I'm leaving the ship in Lulian's hands. You will follow orders from her now while Garland is gone,"  
  
The geonome nodded tiredly and Drakja, with a pop, vanished into thin air and was gone.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The trek was tiring, boring, and excruciatingly thankless. No one was in the mood to speak, and no one could even find it in themselves to try and make conversation. Kuja in particular seemed irked. His eyes, though seemingly sightless, were glaring angrily into the air around them. Zidane, deciding it was the least he could do, attempted to talk with the elder man.  
  
"So, uh . . . What's up?" Zidane had to run to catch up with Kuja, who was walking several yards ahead of everyone else as if their presence made his skin crawl.  
  
"The sky . . ." Kuja snarled.  
  
"Your sarcasm level," Zidane bit back, though he was smiling. "Man, I wish you'd just tell us what's wrong! I mean, you're acting like it's the end of the world . . .!"  
  
"It will be if we don't hurry!" Kuja hissed, beginning to quicken his pace in hopes of losing Zidane once more. The others didn't bother to catch up . . . What was the point?  
  
Zidane smirked. This was too good to pass up . . . "Well, Kuja . . . I know it's the end of the world if every strand of your hair isn't in its exact, designated spot . . ." Zidane's voice was dripping with obnoxious honey. "But really, if this has ANYTHING to do with you thinking you look ugly now 'cause of your eyes . . ."  
  
Kuja stopped dead. For a moment, he seemed to be shaking with inexplicable rage. Then he balled his fingers into fists and began to walk even faster than before.  
  
"That has nothing to do with it . . ."  
  
Zidane grinned. "Aw, Kuja . . . You can tell ME!" Zidane raced ahead and turned around so he was walking backwards. His voice had taken on a more serious tone. "But really, Kuja . . . Can you . . . you know . . . See?"  
  
"Of course I can see!" Kuja growled. "What a stupid question!"  
  
Zidane frowned. "How many fingers am I holding up?"  
  
"Five,"  
  
Zidane gasped. "No! Four!"  
  
Kuja screeched to a stop once more, and a flash of fear crossed his face. "What?"  
  
The blonde genome's lips twitched into a grin. "Hehe . . . the thumb's not a finger,"  
  
"Argh!" Kuja shoved Zidane out of the way and continued walking. The younger genome just laughed.  
  
"Ha! You should've seen the look on your face!"  
  
Kuja's whitened eyes narrowed. "This is no laughing matter!" But he didn't tell Zidane what was really eating at him. It had nothing to do with vanity . . . It was something else; something bad . . . He felt like his control over his life was slipping away. Like he should just give in and let destiny take its course . . . Let himself die . . . Kuja shook that thought angrily from his head. No dying. Not yet.  
  
"Hi!"  
  
Kuja stopped dead, nearly falling backwards with surprise as something popped out of thin air right in front of his face.  
  
"Drakja?!" Zidane gasped, as the person - who was now positioned in between Zidane and Kuja - grinned, hiding something beneath his cloak.  
  
"What in the name of all things holy - ?!"  
  
Drakja rolled his emerald eyes. "Oh, give me a break . . . I'm not here to kill anyone," He pulled back the sides of his long, thick coat to reveal two huddling women, both of which were shivering with cold and fear.  
  
Zidane circled around Drakja, his deep blue eyes growing wider by the second.  
  
". . . Megan . . .?" Megan looked up at him with fright, clutching onto Drakja's pants out of reflex. The purple-eyed woman seemed to be refusing his eye. Kuja looked dumbstruck, only making Drakja laugh.  
  
"What? Didn't think I could perform an act of kindness in my life now, did you?" Drakja smirked. "Don't get your hopes up, mate. They're only being released because Garland's sure about his plan. It's 'foolproof,' he said,"  
  
Kuja growled lightly. "Too bad you're such a fool, then!"  
  
Drakja seemed to giggle as he shoved the two ex-prisoners out from under his cloak and into the snow. They collapsed there; Megan looking positively petrified, the other woman simply pushing herself up with a sigh.  
  
"Worthless, these two were . . . A Summoner that can't Summon . . . And a prophet that doesn't talk . . . I don't know WHAT you two see in them!"  
  
At this point, the rest of the crew had spotted Drakja in the distance and were sloshing through the snow to help their comrades. Drakja looked up with a mild - if not amused - smile on his face.  
  
"Ah well . . . I didn't come here to cause trouble . . . I'm saving that for later," His eyes flashed for a moment and he waved. "Ta ta!"  
  
And then he was gone . . .  
  
The rest of the team, panting and coughing as they skidded up behind Zidane and Kuja, looked shocked at Drakja's sudden disappearance.  
  
"My gracious . . ." Garnet murmured. "He just turned over the prisoners . . . Without even a fight . . . He SOUGHT us out . . ."  
  
Megan whimpered, shivering. Zidane frowned.  
  
"Come on, we'd better get them onto the ship . . ."  
  
"Unbelievable . . ." Eiko whispered. "Do you realize what we put up with to rescue these two . . . and the geonomes just handed them to us like a box of candy!"  
  
"A-at least we can g-go home . . ." Vivi whimpered, clutching his coat tighter around himself.  
  
They stood there in a stunned silence, still too confused to comprehend what had happened.  
  
". . . Kuja . . .?" Zidane tapped his brother on the shoulder. "We were kinda gonna rely on your sight to find the ship for us . . . Do you still know where it is?"  
  
Megan blinked thickly at this statement and looked up. When her eyes met Kuja's, she clapped a horrified hand over her mouth and let out a dry sob. The purple-eyed woman, likewise, looked up as well. Then she looked away as if in pain and muttered something very strange to herself:  
  
"So we both failed . . . Twice now on my record . . ."  
  
Megan was shaking her head as she stared into Kuja's eyes. Kuja just glared down at her in a quiet fury. Then he turned away, his silver hair whipping around his shoulders, and began to storm off in the direction of the ship.  
  
As he was the only guide, the other were forced to follow him . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: Urgh . . . I wrote that last part after a no-sleep sleepover. Sleepy . . . Geez, I don't even remember what happened. *scrolls up, blinks, scrolls down* Oh yeah! The whole Saishoja thingy! Heh . . . I've had that scene in my head for more than a year. Like, seriously, if anyone looks back over certain chapters, you'll see that I've been hinting about all that stuff for, like, EVER! Ooh, and Lulian's up to somethin' nasty . . . Heh, wait till ya'll see . . . It's so Lulian-ish, it's funny. And yes, BMD FINALLY hinted at something about the "purple-eyed woman" (though it wasn't her name, lol). Yes, she IS woven into this storyline (*claps hand to forehead* Imagine that!). So, yes. Sketch questions. Okay, here's the deal. I'd originally intended to get a website where I could post doujinshi-like pages for this fic. HOWEVER, I wound up getting an original comic domain for a web-comic I'm starting. But I felt guilty for days . . . So here's what I'm going to TRY to do . . . I'm going to work on my web-comic (which will be my project after this fic) and try to get another website where I can post Final Fantasy fanart and stuff (yay!). Sound like a deal? The domain for my web-comic (which is going to be empty for a few more weeks, but check on it frequently anyways) is silverfeathers.keenspace.com. Yes, I named it after Kuja even though it's an ORIGINAL comic ^_^ You'll like it. It's got a feminine, Kuja-like villain, lots of cute bishounens and hot bishoujos to go 'round, another one of BMD's twisted, complicated plots, and it'll be in color! And hey, does anyone here read the web-comic Arcana (the shounen-ai vampire story?) If you do and you know about the chapter-six + summary crap thing she's pulling off, I say we mob her and picket outside her house *rants for several minutes* Okay, I'm in a not-shutting-up mood. Here's an update on the progress of this story (it's closer to the end than you think!). This story contains exactly 172 scenes, including the epilogue. This chapter ended with scene 137. So we're actually not too far off from a well- deserved ending. Couple more months, I'd say. Okay, I'll shut up now *meep*  
  
Read and review, review and read. I DON'T CARE!!! JUST REVIEW!!! (lol). 


	34. The Devil Wears Prada

A/N: Bwa . . . Short chapter. Nothing important happens. Pretty useless. But fun to write (and hopefully read) anyways . . . I have nothing to say . . . Strange. Er . . . Thinking . . . Thinking . . . Thinking . . . Uh, I guess the only thing to say is this chapter's sorta sappy and it may SEEM like there's a little Beatrix/Kuja going on, but I want it known that I'm a firm believer in sticking to canon couples, and thus it will forever remain Beatrix/Steiner. Gomen . . .  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy now . . . but someday . . . *evil grin*  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"As memory may be a paradise from which we cannot be driven, it may also be a hell from which we cannot escape."  
  
- John Lancaster Spalding, Aphorisms and Reflections  
  
The hum of the airship filled the air like a swarm of bees. Citizens of Alexandria looked up in wonderment as the fabled Hilda Garde 3 of Lindblum glided gracefully overhead, brushing the gentle clouds as it wove its way towards the silent, regal airship docks. What madness had caused it to leave, they wondered. And what madness had brought it back?  
  
Regent Cid and Lady Hilda were red in the face and severely flustered as they ran like madmen towards the docks. Upon hearing the familiar buzz of Cid's most prized airship, the two of them had raced urgently towards the hangars. Fear was written upon their faces as they neared, breaking their way through tourists (though there were significantly less after the attacks) and busy pedestrians at the port that day. Finally they were there, and they wrenched open the door hurriedly before the occupants of the Hilda Garde 3 had even had a chance to step out.  
  
"Eiko!" Hilda cried, waiting anxiously for the door to open. There was a moment of nerve-wracking silence, and suddenly the port was thrown ajar with a hiss.  
  
"Mother? Father?"  
  
"Eiko!" Hilda raced forward, embracing her adopted daughter protectively as the ship's meager occupants piled out. Cid looked on fearfully as the weary travelers stumbled down the ramp.  
  
"Oh, Uncle Cid . . .!" Garnet, upon spotting her good friend, leaped down the ramp and threw her arms around the Regent. "Thank Ramuh . . ."  
  
Hilda lifted her face from Eiko's hair, surveying the crew with a strange look in her eyes.  
  
". . . What is this . . .? One more is here than left, yet two of them are new . . . and one is missing . . ."  
  
"We were attacked," Zidane said simply, sighing as his feet finally found the lovely, smooth floor. The other twelve occupants looked exhausted, and even Zidane - who was always so chipper - had dark circles under his eyes as if he hadn't slept in weeks.  
  
". . . Attacked . . .? By what?" Cid queried.  
  
"Snow monster," Amarant muttered. "That bitch,"  
  
"She took Quina down with her . . ." Fratley intoned softly, wrapping a comforting arm gently around Freya's shoulder.  
  
". . . And the body . . .?"  
  
"We left it there," Beatrix responded. "To be buried when we have won . . ."  
  
"B-but we rescued the two prisoners!" Vivi defended, trying to make light of the situation. Hilda nodded thoughtfully - perhaps doubtfully - then frowned.  
  
"Wait . . . I see only one. The young maiden from the Outer Continent," Megan huddled fearfully near Zidane. The trauma had obviously not worn off yet. The others were whipping their heads around in confusion.  
  
"Wh-where did that violet-eyed mage go?!" Steiner cried.  
  
". . . She left . . ." Came a soft voice from the back of the crowd. Cid craned his neck to better see the person.  
  
/. . . Kuja . . ./  
  
Kuja was standing near the ship, his face downcast in sadness. Zidane scratched the back of his neck, blushing.  
  
". . . And that was the other thing that happened . . ."  
  
Lady Hilda cocked her head. "What?"  
  
Kuja looked up slowly to reveal his bleached, glazed eyes. Hilda gasped, clapping a hand over her mouth.  
  
"Oh my goodness! W-we must get him to Doctor Tot immediately!"  
  
"It's no use," Beatrix muttered off-handedly. "The damage is permanent,"  
  
". . . But . . ."  
  
"I can still see," Kuja snarled slightly, not appreciating so many people talking about him at once. "So just . . . leave me alone . . ."  
  
Hilda retreated from the subject, but couldn't help but wonder about it. Not one person seemed in the least bit concerned about Kuja other than herself and Cid. It was as if all of the crew had reached a mutual agreement: nothing had even happened. So strange . . .  
  
"Well, we're gonna head on back," Zidane sighed, rubbing his face as if to scratch the exhaustion from it. "We need to at least get poor Megan situated. She still seems kinda . . . freaked," Zidane bit his lip, turning his head away from the young Summoner and muttering to Garnet, "I wonder what they did to her . . ." He had noticed the whip-like tears in the Summoner's clothing and the blood-stains upon her back. However, he, like everyone else, had chosen not to acknowledge it.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Megan had gone immediately to Doctor Tot in the hopes that he had something to treat whip-cuts. He had, of course, and was more than willing to use his magic to help her. Zidane was glad that she, at least, seemed to be coming back to normal. In fact, within a day, the entire crew was beginning to revert back to their old ways once more. Free of the chains of cold and wilderness, they seemed happier than they had been in weeks. Only Kuja seemed not to have recovered. And that, Zidane understood . . .  
  
Kuja gazed sadly out the window of his Alexandrian bedroom in the castle. He always seemed to be in a general slump. His tail lolled uselessly on the floor, and sometimes he appeared so lax the genome seemed to be asleep. Zidane was only concerned because of the poison Kuja had been injected with - and nearly died from - only about a day before. Sure, he seemed fine now. But what if the crud was still circulating in his system, invisible to the eye until it was too late?  
  
So while Tot applied some herbs to Megan's torn shoulders, Zidane had a whispered conversation with the doctor.  
  
"I don't know if it's just him or if he's still sick . . ." Zidane admitted as Tot inspected a particularly nasty gash near the nape of Megan's neck. Megan flinched when his feathered hands ghosted over it, but Zidane knew she had also flinched at his words.  
  
"Well, Zidane . . . Being sad doesn't necessarily mean someone is infected with a fatal toxin . . ." Tot couldn't help but smirk slightly through his beak as he dabbed a piece of cotton over Megan's wounds. She clutched the front of her blouse over her chest tightly so the two males wouldn't see anything they shouldn't have.  
  
"I know," Zidane scratched the back of his neck irritably. "But I mean, even for Kuja he's being REALLY depressed,"  
  
"Zidane . . . he's blind. That's a depressing thing," Tot applied a pinch of magic to the wound, frowning. Megan flinched again and muttered something angrily under her breath.  
  
"I-I know . . . But what if it's a vanity thing?!" Zidane queried nervously, shuffling his feet as he wandered aimlessly around Tot's office. "I mean, you know pretty-boy Kuja . . . He's a narcissist to the extreme . . . I'm just worried 's all . . ."  
  
Tot chuckled softly to himself. "Did you ever stop to think maybe HE was worried?"  
  
Megan coughed, but both Doctor Tot and Zidane were nearly positive they had heard a snort mingled in there somewhere. Zidane ignored her, though his fists had clenched without his realizing it.  
  
"W-we're all worried . . ." Zidane mumbled. "We're not . . . doing very good this time around. Last time, we defeated Garland almost instantly. And we still had Kuja against us then . . . But this time, Garland seems so much stronger . . . Invincible, really. He's killed off one of us, blinded another, and I KNOW he's got something nasty in store for the rest of us . . . What if we don't win? What if all of Gaia perishes?"  
  
Tot's eyes twinkled beneath his spectacles as he dabbed another raw gash on Megan's back. ". . . I don't think that's going to happen . . . Just let time take its course. Everything will be alright . . ."  
  
Zidane sighed, gazing up into the darkness of the ceiling. "I wish I could agree with you, Tot . . . I wish I could agree . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kuja didn't have to be present to know Zidane was talking about him. That darn brat, always poking his nose into places where it didn't belong. Kuja glared furiously out the window beside the door in the intricate entrance hall of the castle. He hadn't realized that he'd spoke aloud, however, until a soft voice drifted from the far end of the corridor.  
  
". . . You really mustn't be angry with him. He's worried about you . . ."  
  
Kuja blanched and turned around, finding himself face to face with one sad blue eye. Beatrix stepped forward cautiously, smiling.  
  
"Why must you be so angry with Zidane? He's done nothing wrong . . ."  
  
"I never said he did," Kuja snapped, looking away. "Why is everyone on my case? All we do is laze around this castle when we SHOULD be out trying to kill Garland,"  
  
". . . We had to get Megan some treatment . . ."  
  
Kuja snorted. "Did you see the way she looked at me when she saw my eyes? She looked so frightened . . . I bet she really enjoyed it,"  
  
Beatrix lowered her gaze slowly. ". . . I've seen that look before . . ."  
  
For a moment, Kuja paused, looking contemplative. Then he nodded.  
  
"Your eye . . ."  
  
". . . Yes . . . I was only fifteen when I lost it," Beatrix reached up dreamily and touched her silky eye-patch with one trembling hand.  
  
"I'm very sorry for your loss," Kuja murmured. "Would it help if I said you still looked beautiful?"  
  
Beatrix went stiff at his words and frowned. /So like the old Kuja . . . Is he really still in there somewhere; that dramatic, noble, graceful, narcissist of a man I once knew?/  
  
Kuja tore himself from the window and came up to the general until they were facing one another. She looked up at him hesitantly, perhaps even with a bit of fright.  
  
". . . Do you remember when we first met?" he queried softly.  
  
Beatrix flushed. "Yes. You had come to speak with the queen and I tried to stop you at the gate; deny you passage,"  
  
"Do you remember why you let me in?"  
  
Beatrix hadn't realized for several moments that he was cupping her cheek with one delicate, white hand.  
  
". . . No . . ."  
  
"Because," Kuja breathed, bringing his face in close until his nose was brushing hers. "I thought you were beautiful . . . And I told you so. You were so shocked that you simply allowed me to pass you by. Nobody had ever said those words to you before. But they were not simply for the sake of manipulation. No, I hold true to every word I spoke,"  
  
Beatrix felt herself hypnotized by Kuja's white, empty eyes. They were so unnatural . . . And so alluring . . . Kuja, still lifting the general's chin, now reached up with his other hand and touched the eye-patch. His fingers ghosted over it for a moment, then came to rest on the fold at the top. He began to pinch it when Beatrix flinched.  
  
"Don't be scared . . ." Kuja whispered. "You cannot hide behind silk and cloth forever . . ." Then, with delicate, feathery care, Kuja pulled the eye-patch down until it rested like a loose piece of fabric around Beatrix's neck. Her eyes were closed, but at Kuja's soft touch, she opened them. Her right eye was the color of parchment; empty and unseeing. A thin scar ran from her eyebrow to the curve of her cheek, crossing ugly over her pupil. Yet Kuja smiled regardless, running his finger down the mark.  
  
"You are still beautiful, Rose of May . . . Steiner is a very lucky man,"  
  
Beatrix smirked. "He would not enjoy hearing those words from you,"  
  
Kuja chuckled. "Indeed . . ."  
  
Suddenly Beatrix whipped around at the sound of quiet footsteps hitting tile. Megan flashed the two of them a strange look as she glided down the corridor. What her destination was, they didn't know. However, Megan's eyes were accusing as she watched them, particularly when she noticed Beatrix's lowered eye-patch. Kuja, just for affect, made sure they made eye-contact. As Megan passed, they distinctly saw her shiver. Once she was out of sight, Beatrix turned back around with a sigh.  
  
"You haven't said a word to her since we returned . . ."  
  
"She hasn't made an effort, so I haven't made an effort," said Kuja curtly. Beatrix frowned.  
  
"Don't you think this is all a little childish?"  
  
"I killed her father,"  
  
Beatrix lowered her gaze sadly and pulled her eye-patch back up, carefully setting it into place over her scar and damaged pupil.  
  
". . . You still think of yourself as the villain, don't you?  
  
Kuja smirked. "Perhaps . . . But there are so many sides to me fighting now. I don't even know if I really am Kuja anymore . . ."  
  
Beatrix smiled faintly. "Somewhere in there you are . . . I can tell. Just . . . Promise me something . . . please . . ."  
  
". . . What . . .?"  
  
Beatrix closed her eye slowly and wrapped her arms around Kuja's waist. The general hugged him gently, sighing, and a small tear rolled down her cheek.  
  
". . . Don't die . . ."  
  
/Why is she saying this . . .?/  
  
"Wh-what makes you think I'm going to die?"  
  
Beatrix looked up at the young genome carefully, unable to find the right words for the situation. "I-I don't know . . . It's just this fear . . . Maybe I'm paranoid . . . And maybe I'm not . . . 'Cause Zidane feels it too . . ."  
  
Kuja hesitated, a strange chill running up his spine.  
  
". . . I won't die . . ."  
  
Beatrix pulled back, breathing a sigh of relief. "Thank you. I-I'll be going now. Guard duty, you know . . ."  
  
Kuja nodded, watching the graceful general twirl around with curly brown locks flying.  
  
/. . . I won't die . . .?/  
  
Kuja frowned, running his fingers nervously through his luxurious silver hair.  
  
"Why did I cross my fingers when I said that . . .?"  
  
Kuja shook his head as if to rid it of a headache and turned around, staring sadly at the door that lead out of Alexandria Castle.  
  
"No fair . . ." he muttered, glaring at it. "You keep me in here . . . When you have absolutely no right . . ."  
  
A sigh averted his attention away from the evil door.  
  
"You know, you COULD go outside if your really wanted to . . ." Zidane's eyebrow was raised with annoyance and a hint of amusement.  
  
Kuja laughed coldly. "Rules are rules . . ."  
  
"Yeah, but Tot said you should go outside after being sick for so long . . . He went to Beatrix and got special permission . . ."  
  
Kuja made a sour face. /So that's what's got Beatrix all worried . . . She thinks I'm still dying or something . . ./  
  
"Well, if that is the case Little Brother, then I bid you adieu . . ." Kuja bore an expression of the utmost frustration and shoved the door open furiously. He gave Zidane one last death-beam before trekking away. Before he was out of ear-shot, he caught Zidane's last words.  
  
"You're not allowed to go past the moat!!!"  
  
"Oh, blow it out your . . ."  
  
Kuja decided to keep his formal dignity in tact and shut his mouth.  
  
Of course, the moat was nothing much to look at. But Kuja took advantage of this small glimpse of freedom and sat himself on the wall beside it. Somewhere between the slow, rather nauseating rolling of the waves and the sudden blast of sunlight that was hitting Kuja dead-on, he found himself extremely depressed. He sighed for a moment, not even entirely sure what saddened him so suddenly, when he heard a faint giggle from nearby. Whipping around nervously, Kuja leapt up on the wall and did a complete one- eighty. His tail twitched, ready for a fight, but nothing happened.  
  
"What in the . . .? Huh?!"  
  
There it was again; like a young girl laughing. Kuja lost his attack stance and replaced it with a slightly dumbfounded expression. One which became all the more shocked when Megan stepped into view in an EXTREMELY revealing dress.  
  
"M-Megan . . .?"  
  
Megan giggled, covering her mouth daintily with one hand as she stood a few feet away from the moat on the castle side. Her collar was dipped incredibly low and her dress - though reaching to the grass - was cut on one side almost completely up to her waist. Kuja was at a loss for words.  
  
/Has she . . . finally snapped . . .?/  
  
"Kuja!" Megan's voice was sing-song-like and very enticing. She beckoned him down, still laughing, and positioned herself as appealingly as she could. Kuja, without even realizing it, leapt off the wall and began to creep slowly towards the provocative woman.  
  
"Megan, what in the name of Atomos do you think you're - ?"  
  
He was abruptly cut off when Megan violently grabbed the sides of his face and dragged the sorcerer down in what was likely the most passionate kiss in Gaia's history. She pressed herself firmly against his body, despite Kuja's momentary struggle to free himself, and allowed her mouth to melt flawlessly into his. She ran her fingers through his silver hair, moaning with pure bliss. For a second, Kuja was too shocked to move. Then he found himself - as if he were hypnotized - sinking into her embrace. Damn, it felt good . . .  
  
He sighed, closing his eyes, and allowed his arms to dangle over her shoulders. He was pretty sure they were going to wind up lying in the grass any minute . . .  
  
Then he noticed the phantom movement of a nail-polished hand near Megan's leg. Kuja opened his eyes and nodded mentally to himself.  
  
/As I thought . . ./  
  
For several more seconds he allowed his pale lips to remain firmly implanted on Megan's. Then, suddenly, with a cry, Kuja used the position of his arms over her shoulders to whip the girl around and press her back against his chest, holding one strong arm firmly across her neck in a head- lock. She shrieked, then disappeared like smoke from his clutches. She reappeared a few feet away, looking flustered but incredibly proud of herself.  
  
Megan grinned, giggling, and then her features began to shift and reform. Honey-colored hair became rich dark brown that flowed down to her waist. Legs lengthened several inches, and a tail sprouted from the back of her dress. Eyes reverted suddenly to electric green as the full-bodied figure of a geonome replaced it.  
  
Kuja allowed a faint growl to rise in his throat. ". . . Lulian . . ."  
  
He saw it now, on the leg where the dress was cut: a gun strapped against her burned skin, gleaming deadly and just waiting for the time when a bullet would slide slippery from its nozzle.  
  
/Wicked . . ./  
  
"Ah, so the Angel of Death is more intelligent than he appears . . ." Lulian crooned, smiling sweetly though her eyes remained piercing with malice. "It is to be expected,"  
  
"So you came to seek revenge, did you now, Lulian?" Kuja queried smoothly, folding his arms across his chest and nodding towards the gun.  
  
"That and a few other things," Lulian responded, smiling.  
  
"Well, you failed, so get the hell out of here," Kuja snapped. Lulian beamed and her eyes darted towards the upper windows of the castle.  
  
"Oh, the damage has been done . . ."  
  
". . . What . . .?"  
  
Kuja turned around, following Lulian's emerald gaze just in time to see someone dart out of a fourth-story window. He knew that honey-colored hair and glasses anywhere.  
  
/Oh crap! Megan!/  
  
Lulian chuckled. "Don't think she's gonna forgive you for this one lover- boy,"  
  
Kuja whipped around furiously, whitened eyes blazing. "What the hell are you trying to accomplish?!"  
  
"Isn't it obvious?" Lulian's voice was tinkling. "I'm keeping the comrades separated. Difficult to stop the bad-guy when you can't cooperate, isn't it?"  
  
/. . . Shit . . ./  
  
Lulian giggled, leaping backwards onto the moat wall.  
  
"'fraid I must be going . . ." she sighed dramatically. "But I must say . . ." her eyes were glittering. "You are a VERY good kisser . . ."  
  
And then she was gone in a puff of smoke, leaving Kuja standing there angry and dreading the inevitable at the same time . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Megan sighed, throwing herself onto the bed in her Alexandrian bedroom. She just couldn't get those blank eyes out of her head . . . Every time she saw them they made her stomach seize up with cold fear. She wasn't sure if it was their appearance as much as her own guilt . . .  
  
/He lost his eyesight rescuing me . . ./ Megan thought to herself.  
  
/But he SO deserved it . . ./  
  
/My fault . . ./  
  
/His fault . . ./  
  
/Why am I talking to myself?/  
  
Megan sat up abruptly, sighing, and slid off the bed towards the window. The Summoner leaned tiredly against the ledge, allowing a soft breeze through the open glass to play with her hair.  
  
"Hmm? Is that . . .?" Megan suddenly craned herself over the window, staring down towards the moat. It was! She knew that silver hair anywhere!  
  
/Why are they letting him outside?! And who's that girl there?/  
  
The "girl" was wearing a really obnoxious dress in Megan's opinion. /What a slut!/  
  
And then, right before her very eyes - completely out of nowhere! - Kuja and the woman sunk into the most passionate kiss she'd ever seen in her life. She couldn't see Kuja, but she could just imagine what joy he was getting out of this.  
  
/Oh . . . my . . .god . . ./  
  
And then the tears began to fall. Megan didn't even realize it until she felt the soft drip against her hand. Reaching up carefully, she touched her face in horror.  
  
"I'm . . . crying . . . Why?"  
  
So much pain. Megan had never felt such pain in her life. She couldn't understand where it came from or what caused it, but it felt like her very heart was being torn in two.  
  
"My god . . ." she stumbled back from the window, not even looking down at the couple below again, and fled.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Drakja fingered the consoles of the Indomitable tensely. His . . . The ship was all his . . . Garland had gone back to the "secret base" and now Drakja was left in complete and utter command of the entire freaking ship . . .  
  
"Oh man . . . This is way cool . . . I seriously have to take advantage of this . . ."  
  
But how? What could he do now that he couldn't do before? Garland had always given him nearly one-hundred percent free-reign.  
  
"Hmm . . . This is a toughie . . . Damn it . . . Where's Lulian when I need her?" Drakja scratched his head, the thought suddenly dawning on him that he hadn't seen the alpha-female in quite some time. "Ah, well . . ."  
  
/Flash/  
  
The reports, Drakja . . . You could open every book . . . Every cranny . . . And what would you discover?  
  
/Flash/  
  
Drakja blinked. "Well, that was weird . . . Should I listen to the disembodied phantom voice in my head or not?"  
  
/Flash/  
  
Nothing to lose . . .  
  
/Flash/  
  
"Yeah, that's true," Drakja nodded. "Ah, why the hell not?" The geonome whipped around and trotted from the control-room for the make-shift library of the ship only a few corridors down.  
  
It was unnaturally dark there and Drakja shivered, opening the door slowly and slipping inside. It was cold . . . and spooky.  
  
/That's the last time I listen to disembodied phantom voices in my head . . .!/  
  
Drakja lifted a finger and allowed a small flame to spring to life on its tip. With the small circle of light it shed him, Drakja sunk into the dark chamber. Hundreds of books lined the cobwebbed walls, but Drakja knew exactly which book he was looking for . . .  
  
Garland's diary reports of Terra . . .  
  
It was there that he would find something he'd been trying to find for years. Garland had never told Drakja he couldn't read it, but somehow the book had always felt so forbidden . . . Like his hands would burn if he touched it.  
  
And there it was, lying carelessly upon a table at the blackened end of the room. Drakja crept cautiously up to the structure and flipped the text over with the hand that didn't hold the flame.  
  
"Yes . . ." he breathed. "This is it . . ."  
  
Drakja blew slowly on the flame so that it disconnected from his finger and floated above the table, lighting it dimly. Then Drakja grasped the book with both hands and flipped hurriedly to the end . . . The last page . . .  
  
/This should tell me . . ./ Drakja thought wildly. /Exactly how Saishoja died!/ He didn't know how he knew, but somehow the geonome felt deep within his heart that the last page was the key to everything: all the visions he'd seen, all the strange dejá vu's that came while fighting Kuja . . . Finally . . . an answer . . . Written in Garland's own words!  
  
"I can't believe I'm witnessing this . . ." Drakja read Garland's written words aloud, frowning. "I have watched these two men for so long . . . And now, finally, they stand together. Drakja is trying to reason with Saishoja . . . But it is clear that Saishoja isn't interested . . ." Drakja skimmed the dialogue Garland recorded, interested only in the aftermath. "Ah, here we go," the alpha-male cleared his throat and continued. "I can't even fathom what is transpiring," At this point, the handwriting became frantic, wild, as if Garland were recording this in an excited, disbelieving manner. "Saishoja has turned his back on Drakja! It is as I feared. No peace will come between these two . . . No peace will return to Terra. We are surely doomed to an eternity of war . . . Drakja looks crestfallen . . . And . . ." a large pen gash suddenly crossed the page as if Garland had jerked with surprise. Drakja's brow furrowed.  
  
"This is the most unbelievable thing ever!" Garland wrote frantically. "Even as I hide here now, Drakja has thrust a sword straight through Saishoja's back! There . . . There is blood everywhere! Saishoja . . . He's not dead, but the end of the blade is jutting from his chest . . . I see that girl from the camp . . . Madeline . . . she is screaming. Drakja is removing the blade. I cannot believe I am witnessing the death of Saishoja . . . But truly this is the end of all things. The people will not stand for this. This is the death of Terra. Saishoja . . . isn't dead still. He's lying in the grass. His blindfold is removed. Those eyes . . . So unearthly . . . And he's saying something. I . . . I can't believe this . . . Drakja is . . . Saishoja said . . . Oh my god . . ."  
  
And then the book ended, unfinished, and the pen trailed off as if Garland had dropped it . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kuja threw open the doors of the castle furiously, storming inside so hard that he could have moved the floors.  
  
"I HATE geonomes!" he shouted angrily, running his fingers through his silver hair. Then he stopped. "Oh no . . ."  
  
Megan stood at the other end of the entrance hall, teary-eyed and with fists clenched at her sides. She was breathing heavily, blood-shot eyes boring menacingly into Kuja.  
  
"M-Megan . . ." Kuja coughed and looked away. "Wh-what do you want?"  
  
"You . . ." Megan snarled. "You son of a bitch! How DARE you!"  
  
She stomped up to the sorcerer until she was staring straight up into his pale face.  
  
"Megan, it's not what you . . ."  
  
"How old was she, Kuja?!" Megan cried. "Fifteen?! Sixteen?! Just ripe?!"  
  
"What - ?!"  
  
Megan abruptly burst into tears, shoulders shaking with sobs. "You're a monster!" she cried tearfully. "You kill and you murder and then . . . and then you dally yourself with cute young girls, when . . ." /When what? When he has me?/  
  
For a moment Kuja seemed slapped dumb. Then his blank white eyes flashed red and he grabbed Megan furiously by the wrists. He whipped her around and shoved her forcefully until her back was up against the wall. Then he brought his face in ever so close to hers, their noses brushing, his eyes wide and full of maniacal energy. Megan cowered with fear.  
  
"Don't YOU accuse me of being a murderer!" Kuja snarled, yanking Megan's arms up over her head. "You have NO RIGHT! You who jump to god damn conclusions about every little bastard thing you see! You've left me alone thus far, SO WHY DON'T YOU STAY OUT OF MY GOD DAMN LIFE ALREADY?!!!"  
  
Megan stared up into Kuja's mad eyes fearfully, and for a second she saw the murderer . . . the man whom she'd read about in the papers . . . The Angel of Death . . . The Dark Messenger . . . The violent warlock who had slaughtered thousands and smiled all the way. Kuja growled and gave Megan one last shove before backpedaling away from her like she was some kind of toxin.  
  
"You make me sick . . ." he hissed.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: Whoa . . . I haven't written Kuja evil like that in a LONG time . . . I like it ^_^ He's good like that. Sorry for the short chapter. The next one should be a little longer. I think. *checks summary-draft* Yup. Should be. But damn it all I'm having a hard time figuring out how to space the next two chapters. It's either gonna be two REALLY short chapters . . . or one super, super long one. *sigh* I'm thinking about making it two . . . But we'll see . . . Whoo! I got a drawing tablet! *does a happy dance* Hey, my dad realized something funky today . . . If you take Ummei's name and do reverse Pig-Latin (like, pretend his name is IN Pig-Latin already) then his real name is Moo. First he was Fuzzy . . . Now he's Moo. *huggles Ummei* Poor Moo Moo . . . 


	35. Battle In the Skies

A/N: Grr . . . Review count bad! Me mad! And sad! Not glad! Etc. etc. Let us do better this time, ne? Okay, this is another filler chapter for sure, but the next one ain't (good grammar . . .). And I have exciting news! Yay! But . . . IT WILL HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE SECOND AUTHOR'S NOTE! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! So read the other A/N too . . .  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantsy (Darn it, Rosianna . . . Mwa, I'm just teasing ^_^ I noticed you corrected the error. Thanks.)  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"I find it kind of funny,  
  
I find it kind of sad,  
  
The dreams in which I'm dying  
  
Are the best I've ever had."  
  
– Mad World, Tears for Fears  
  
"Oh man . . . Don't tell me . . ." Zidane groaned as Kuja shoved past him down an intricately decorated corridor of Alexandria Castle.  
  
"Leave me alone," Kuja growled warningly, continuing on his way and ignoring the scampering of Zidane's footsteps as his brother reversed direction and tore off after him.  
  
"You fought with Megan again!" Zidane hissed accusingly, pulling up next to the silver-haired sorcerer and power-walking so that he matched Kuja's quickened, agitated stride.  
  
"Leave me alone!" Kuja repeated, more forcefully this time. Zidane, of course, wasn't ready to back down just yet.  
  
"God, what the hell are your problems?! Why do you two even bother talking?! All you ever do is claw each other's eyes out!"  
  
Kuja bristled and suddenly stopped walking. He stood there motionless for a moment, then turned and looked at Zidane strangely.  
  
". . . She called me a murderer . . ."  
  
"Er, Kuja . . ."  
  
The elder genome heaved a sigh. "I know, I know . . . I AM a murderer . . ."  
  
"WAS a murderer . . ." Zidane corrected. Kuja frowned.  
  
"Zidane, I don't know how much more of this I can take . . . Why . . . Why didn't you just let me die at the Iifa Tree?! Why, damn it?!" Kuja ran his hand desperately through his hair, lacing the ivory locks through his fingers and then allowing them to collapse back into his face. He looked somewhat mad. "I just can't take it anymore!" he shouted.  
  
"Take what?" Zidane queried softly.  
  
Kuja backed up into the wall and then slid down it, eyes closed wearily.  
  
"Life . . ." he whispered softly. "I just can't take life anymore . . ."  
  
". . . You know why I saved you . . ." Zidane murmured, not moving from his spot. His kept his eyes downcast as Kuja sat there, head leaning back against the cool wall.  
  
". . . Why . . .?" Kuja choked out.  
  
"Because I love you . . ."  
  
There was silence, in which neither of the brothers moved. If this answer shocked Kuja, he didn't show it. A small smile twisted on the warlock's face.  
  
"Love," he spat, grinning. "What has love ever done for anyone? It builds us up, breaks us, and then allows our pieces to shatter into a thousand tiny fragments . . . Blown away on a wind so that not even the eyes of Bahamut can track down every . . . last . . . piece . . ."  
  
Zidane shook his head fiercely. "No, Kuja! Love is beautiful! Love unites us, makes us stronger! It was through love that you saved my life as much as I saved yours! You're my brother and I am yours! We are eternally bound by this so-called 'love' that you detest!"  
  
Kuja laughed, a cold, mirthless laugh. "It's so easy for you to love, Zidane! You have the beautiful queen at your side and hordes of wonderful friends! A whole planet bowing at your feet! What do I have?! I have nothing! Any creature that can stand to gaze upon me for more than a minute finds itself blind! I'm a monster, Zidane! A murderer! And nothing you do can ever change me!"  
  
". . . I didn't ask you to change . . ." Zidane murmured. "Because . . . I didn't have to . . . There is so much you can still do with your life – for others,"  
  
"Who, Zidane?!" Kuja snapped, glaring tiredly at the younger genome. "Who have I to love?!"  
  
Zidane smiled hesitantly and bowed his head.  
  
". . . You have me . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"So it's souls he wants, eh?" Drakja whispered to himself, gazing at the complicated control panel of the Indomitable. It was quiet in the room; empty. Perfect for plotting mischief . . .  
  
"So everything has come together?" a soft voice intoned from behind. Drakja closed his eyes at Lulian's smooth, melodic voice and smiled.  
  
". . . Yes . . . Most definitely,"  
  
She came up beside him, looking thoughtful. "So Garland wanted souls all along. We should have guessed . . . They make him stronger, huh?"  
  
Drakja nodded. "So it would seem . . . I think he can control them; use them to his own will . . . It's really the power he craves . . ."  
  
"So to get souls . . ."  
  
Drakja chuckled. "You have to kill mortals, yes,"  
  
"Except . . ."  
  
Drakja cut Lulian off with a wave of his hand. "We shan't discuss that now. I don't know Garland's reasoning behind the exceptions and I'm not about to ponder them,"  
  
"I think I understand them . . ." Lulian whispered. Drakja said nothing.  
  
"Have you decided on a course of action yet?" Lulian queried. The alpha- male smirked.  
  
"Naturally. It's simple. We're just going to finish what Kuja started . . ."  
  
"Which is?"  
  
"Complete and utter annihilation of every known city with a population,"  
  
Lulian laughed. "How evil . . ."  
  
"It's delicious," Drakja corrected. "And the first target is obvious . . ."  
  
"Alexandria?"  
  
"Yup. That way, once I've gathered some souls, I can complete the . . . other . . . part of this mission,"  
  
Lulian shivered with delight. "Cool . . .!" she squealed. Drakja smiled, pleased with himself, and then suddenly stiffened.  
  
"Lulian!" he boomed in a commanding voice. "Gather every geonome on this ship! Tell them we're taking a direct course over Alexandria IMMEDIATELY! Tell them to prepare for battle!"  
  
"Yes, sir!"  
  
The alpha-male grinned.  
  
"It's time to put our new airship to use . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kuja gazed ponderingly at Zidane for a moment longer. It was true, though he'd never given it much thought. He and Zidane . . . they were bound by threads much stronger than fate . . . He wondered, briefly, what would happen if they were broken.  
  
"Ah, Zidane, you might want to get the others . . ."  
  
Zidane blinked, taken-aback by the abrupt change in subject, and frowned. "What? Why?"  
  
Kuja sighed, sightless eyes drifting towards the ceiling.  
  
"Something tells me . . . Drakja's back,"  
  
". . . Drakja . . .? He's coming to attack the city again . . .?"  
  
Kuja hesitated, closing his eyes wearily. ". . . Yes . . ."  
  
"Aw, crap,"  
  
A crash like thunder rose from outside and Zidane flinched, biting his lip. Kuja, without opening his white eyes, nodded.  
  
"That would be him . . ."  
  
"What the hell's he doing out there?!" Zidane shouted furiously, racing down the hallway and coming to a skidding halt before a window. Kuja waited for Zidane's response, and when there was none, he opened his eyes.  
  
". . . What are they doing . . .?"  
  
"Oh damn it all, Kuja!" Zidane gasped. "It's that airship of theirs! They're tryin' to blow up the freakin' city!"  
  
"Zidane!" a shrill voice rose from the entrance hall. Immediately the rest of the crew – save Megan – piled into the corridor, eyes wide and desperate.  
  
"I know, I know!" Zidane whined, punching a fist into the wall beside the window. "God damn them!"  
  
"What are we gonna do?" Vivi queried nervously.  
  
"Well, we should at least investigate," Garnet offered. The team nodded and immediately rushed for the doors. Zidane started to go, then stopped, turning around.  
  
". . . Kuja . . .?"  
  
Kuja sighed, heaving himself to his feet.  
  
"Coming . . .!"  
  
The crew, however, regretted peering outside the second the doors were thrown open. From across the moat they could see that the entire city of Alexandria had become shrouded in a thick, black cloud. It swirled slowly, rotating over one spot where a violet and silver airship hovered silently above the great nation like an evil specter of the night. Lightning flashed, jagged and cold, across the sky as a small portion of the city burned, turning the black cloud a flickering, blood-crimson. Citizens of Alexandria screamed and ran, Garland's previous attack on Alexandria with the Invincible three years ago still fresh in their minds.  
  
It was a nightmare . . .  
  
And to top it off, geonomes kept teleporting like little flickering candles from the ship out into the city. Not only were they raiding and looting, but they were mercilessly killing humans for unrecognizable reasons.  
  
"Oh Shiva, it's another slaughter!" Fratley gasped.  
  
"W-we have to stop them!" Garnet cried, clapping her hands over her mouth. "M-my people! They're dying!"  
  
Zidane brooded silently for a moment. ". . . We'll have to chase away the geonomes . . . That's all there is to it . . ."  
  
"And the airship?!" Eiko snapped, growling. Zidane blinked.  
  
"I should think that obvious . . . Someone has to go up there and take it down,"  
  
Immediate silence. Steiner's lip was twitching with agitation.  
  
"And how in the name of Carbuncle do you plan on doing that?!"  
  
Zidane furrowed his brow. "We have the Invincible, which is a better model of that ship up there . . . It shouldn't be too difficult . . ."  
  
"But no one here knows how to fly it!" Beatrix pointed out, her voice squeaking somewhat with nerves.  
  
"I do!" Zidane argued, placing his hands on his hips.  
  
"We're wasting time!" Garnet moaned as the hysterical, panicked screams of the citizens began to increase. Zidane scratched his head nervously.  
  
"I-I could take the ship . . . I could destroy the Indomitable . . ."  
  
"But we need you to fight!" Lani shouted. "You're the only one here who is any match against the geonomes! You're as strong as they are – you can defeat them!"  
  
Garnet looked ready to collapse. "Oh god, make a decision, guys!"  
  
Zidane closed his eyes wearily, brow creasing with thought. He summed up the situation quickly.  
  
/Geonomes flood the city from below . . . While the Indomitable attacks from above. We could destroy the geonomes now . . . While someone uses the Invincible to take down the Indomitable . . . I'm the only one here who can defeat the geonomes . . . And the only one that can fly the ship . . .! I can't be in two places at once! This is impossible, how are we going to – ?/  
  
"You have to do it . . ." Zidane said suddenly, his voice barely above a whisper.  
  
"Hmm?" All eyes turned onto the young genome.  
  
"You have to do it," Zidane repeated, this time turning his gaze on Kuja. "You can fly the Invincible, can't you? So you have to take it up there while we fight . . ."  
  
Kuja seemed taken-aback for a moment before he made a derisive noise. "Me in an airship duel? Don't make me laugh!"  
  
Zidane shook his head desperately.  
  
"You're the only one that can do this . . .! You've used the ship for destructive purposes before – destroyed entire cities with it! You're the mechanical one in the group here! You were raised on Terra with machines and guns! You and the Invincible . . . You're unstoppable with that thing! I knows it's been years since you've driven it . . . but with your telepathic powers and sense of mechanics . . . You can do this!"  
  
Kuja frowned, but noticed the eyes of the others on him now. The eyes didn't seem disappointed, they seemed . . . justified . . . They'd expected him to back down and not take the job, and that was the response they'd gotten. Kuja's eyes narrowed dangerously.  
  
". . . I'll do it . . . Just take care of the geonomes,"  
  
Zidane smiled widely, breathing a sigh of relief alongside Garnet.  
  
"Thanks Kuja . . . We won't fail . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Oh man, what a mess . . ." Eiko muttered, gazing around at the wreckage as innocent pedestrians streamed past her, crying.  
  
"We must assist!" Steiner cried, unsheathing Excalibur II. The others were drawing weapons as well, leering angrily into the flames of the city. Not a geonome had approached them yet . . .  
  
Yet . . .  
  
"Well would you look at that!" It was a whole group of geonomes – ten at least – standing in the middle of the street, their weapons dripping with blood. "It's the second Angel of Death and his nutty little friends!"  
  
"Back off . . ." Zidane warned. "We're not gonna fall so easily this time . . ."  
  
"Tha's right," a rather thick-headed looking geonome slurred. "'cause this time ain't no leader to shoot you's off a cliff . . ."  
  
Zidane flinched, and his eyes narrowed dangerously.  
  
"I think that's the signal to attack," Freya whispered. The others nodded, drawing back their weapons. There was a cry, and within minutes the sound of metal clashing upon metal filled the rancid air.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kuja raced desperately for the docks. He had to hurry. Brave or not, strong or not, Zidane and the others were going to get slaughtered if he didn't take down the ship. Pedestrians ran by him and – not without guilt – Kuja had to push several of them away.  
  
The docks loomed close, tall and gleaming in the evil premature night. He used faint magic to blast a guard out of the way at the door (only enough to stun him), then slipped inside the hangar. The Invincible sat there proudly, unused yet still brilliant. The silver and violet structure seemed to sparkle, not even penetrated by dust. Kuja strode up to the side of the ship, gazing up at its regal form, and tried to remember how to enter it.  
  
"You get off with a hidden door . . ." Kuja murmured. "But to get inside you have to . . ."  
  
Kuja reached out with his mind and finally grasped the teleporter. Not many knew how to operate the ship like he did and not many knew he'd lived on it for nearly two years once as a child. Once his mind had wrapped around the teleporter's controls, he felt his body disintegrating. He watched his own arms fade away to dust, then there was a flash of light and he found himself standing in the proud, inoperative control-room of the ship.  
  
". . . Excellent . . ."  
  
The warlock strode forward, and with a wave of his hand the wall before him faded away to reveal a hidden, semicircular window so large that Kuja could see at least half of the airship dock before him as if he were actually standing outside the craft. From outside, however, no window could be detected, open or not. It was a brilliant tactic Garland had come up with. No matter how much Kuja loathed the man, he always remained in awe of the evil overlord's ingenuity.  
  
"And now to turn this puppy on . . ." Kuja closed his eyes, feeling for the controls with his mind. He knew Zidane most likely operated the ship manually. He had to. But Kuja, on the other hand, was capable of powering the craft simply with his mind. He was not capable of telekinesis or anything of the such like Garland, but in his childhood years he had been taught the art of manipulating machinery with his psyche. In a desperate situation such as this one that required fast action, telepathy was the only way to fight.  
  
From seemingly nowhere there was a roar and the ship sprang to life. Blinking lights and flashing symbols spread out before the panels and the gears locked into place with yawning clicks. The Invincible seemed to purr as if it had never been used and of virgin purity; brand new. Kuja smiled, having forgotten the exhilaration of operating an airship. Now that left only one last problem to solve . . .  
  
"How am I going to get out of the hangar?"  
  
In the chaos of the latest attack, all guards and mechanical personnel were gone. There was no one around to open the garage. Kuja sighed, tapping his chin.  
  
"Well, I guess they don't leave me much choice . . ."  
  
And so Kuja did what he had always been bred to do . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ummei moaned, closing his eyes. Mikoto cocked her head, staring at the geonome curiously.  
  
"Uh . . . You alright?"  
  
"Bleah . . . Air-sick . . ."  
  
Mikoto clapped a hand to her forehead, rattling the tight chains around her wrist. "You've been on this ship HOW LONG and NOW you're air-sick?!"  
  
Ummei groaned, lying on his back in the boiler-dungeon. "Well so-rry! We're below the main floor where all the movement occurs . . ."  
  
"What movement?!" Mikoto snapped, relieved to see the guard again after so many days of him missing, yet finding herself frustrated with the omega already. "The ship is floating motionless in one spot!"  
  
Ummei squeezed his eyes shut as something beneath the ship rumbled. Mikoto frowned.  
  
"Wh-what's that?"  
  
". . . You don't want to know . . ."  
  
"What is it?" Mikoto tucked her feet beneath her legs, sitting alertly. Ummei opened his emerald green eyes for a moment, seemingly wanting to get up, but then closed them again, looking pale.  
  
". . . The eye . . ."  
  
". . . The eye . . .?"  
  
Ummei nodded, turning green. "The mechanical eye of the ship . . . It maintains its stability on captured souls; also capable of drawing them in through a Mist-like, alluring transaction of chemicals that seemingly seduce the spirits into entering voluntarily – similar to Gaian flies being drawn to a Venus fly-trap. Once there, however, souls are kept locked in suspended animation where one with magical access to the ship's reserves is capable of diffusing them into themselves and using the souls as a means of nearly boundless energy – often to achieve a higher state of being. In other words, a mortal could potentially be killed and then kidnapped by the ship's automated iris,"  
  
Mikoto was so used to Ummei's intelligence swings now that she didn't even start upon his sudden use of "high-class" words. She almost welcomed it, in fact, after having been alone in the dungeons for so long.  
  
"Of course . . ." Mikoto whispered. "The Invincible has a mechanical eye too. Garland used to draw in souls with it . . . So is he going to be doing that again with THIS ship?"  
  
Ummei shook his head, looking like he was trying to keep his lunch down.  
  
"G-Garland's gone . . . Drakja's in command . . . Under Garland's orders to capture souls . . . in Alexandria . . ."  
  
"Alexandria?!" Mikoto sat up abruptly. "But that's where my brothers are!"  
  
Ummei heaved himself up and, stumbling, dragged himself to his feet. Exhausted and looking even greener, the geonome leaned against the wall, panting.  
  
"Th-they'll be fine. Th-they have . . . p-powerful souls . . . Neither of the ship's eyes can," Ummei hesitated, gulping, then tried again. "Neither of the ship's eyes can draw in souls . . . As powerful as the Angels of Death's . . ."  
  
Mikoto blinked. "Seriously?"  
  
"Y-yes . . . If Garland . . . wanted Zidane's, Kuja's, or even YOUR soul . . . He'd have to use al . . . he'd have to use alternative methods . . ."  
  
"Such as what?"  
  
Ummei opened his mouth to speak, then covered it and ran hurriedly from the room. Mikoto stared at the open vault-like door for a moment, then sighed.  
  
". . . Idiot . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Damn it, Kuja!" Zidane shouted as he dodged a geonome's sword. "What the hell is taking you so long?!"  
  
"Yah!" Beatrix let out a fierce cry and plunged the glimmering blade of Save the Queen into a geonome's chest. The creature shrieked, convulsing momentarily, and then collapsed to the ground, dead. Zidane's lip twitched.  
  
". . . Nice . . ."  
  
Beatrix flipped her golden curls over her shoulder. "Thanks,"  
  
"Ah, watch out!" Lani screamed. Beatrix whipped around just in time to dodge the world's most enormous axe as it careened, pathless, through the air. It blew past Beatrix's head, causing her hair to blow as if caught in a wind. The edge of the axe wedged itself into a brick wall nearby, the handle trembling.  
  
"Lani!"  
  
"I'm sorry, geez!"  
  
All around them the cries of the citizenry and geonomes could be heard. Whether it was Garland's creatures murdering innocents or Zidane's crew murdering them, the city was in havoc. Of all the attacks that had occurred, this was undoubtedly the worst. Zidane was concerned, however, that he had not yet seen Lulian, Chikara, Drakja, or any other high-ranking geonomes. The most chaos would be flowering from them.  
  
/Well Drakja's probably the one operating the ship . . ./ Zidane deduced. /Kuja said he sensed Drakja's attacking . . . So I guess we shouldn't expect much ground-level trouble out of him./  
  
All at once, an explosion rock the city near the sea. Flames roared into the sky, curling and crashing down upon the streets in a wave. Sparks crackled in the air as the sky took on a crimson hue. Fire seared across the belly of the clouds, streaming down like comets onto the cool, oil- slick water. It gave the horizon the appearance of having been set aflame.  
  
"What on Gaia was that?!" Freya shrieked from nearby, turning her face away from the blinding heat of the flames.  
  
"The Indomitable didn't do that . . ." Fratley scratched his head.  
  
Suddenly, a rumble filled the air. From the ashes and spitting fire rose a gleaming, polished airship. It revolved slowly, changing direction, as it rose silently into the night sky. Smoke curled from a set of mammoth guns protruding from the front end of the craft where it had blasted apart the hangar. Awe was written on the faces of Alexandrians and geonomes alike at the sudden intrusion of this beautiful ship.  
  
The Invincible was back and ready for action . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kuja smirked, watching the city below him shrinking to doll-house-size proportions. The hangar was smoking quite thickly, filling the sky with smog.  
  
"Well, it's their fault for not having any mechanics around . . ."  
  
The warlock whipped around, away from the controls, and tried to think up a tactic.  
  
"Drakja is bound to notice the ship any second now . . . I've got to act fast before he starts shooting . . ."  
  
Kuja sighed, abandoning the control-room for the interior of the ship. He glanced over the eerily familiar surroundings, taking note that very little had changed since the last time he'd been there. /Though/ he thought to himself, frowning with distaste. /I can't remember the last time I was in here because I was under the influence of Them./  
  
Kuja trudged towards the thin staircase that lead down to the inner basement of the ship. He hadn't even realized he was descending down the steps until the blinding red glow of the ship's innards suddenly forced him to look away.  
  
"What . . .?" Kuja opened his bleached eyes a crack, peering down into the depths of the craft. /Of course . . .!/ "The eye . . ."  
  
All at once, an explosion of deafening voices seemed to overtake the sorcerer. He gasped, clutching onto the railing as the screams filled his ears. He couldn't understand what they were saying through the piling of voices on top of voices, yet he somehow knew exactly what they wanted.  
  
/The eye . . ./ Kuja was barely able to pull that thought together. /They want to go to the eye . . ./  
  
"N-no . . ." Kuja pulled back, trying to get as far from the mechanical iris as he could. Unfortunately, what he thought was pulling back was actually descending further down the steps. They were drawing him down . . . Dragging his every muscle further into the crimson abyss of the stairs.  
  
"Ah . . . I . . . I can't fight them!"  
  
The voices were consuming him. Everything was becoming a swirling medley of blacks and reds. He thought it was the black of unconsciousness and the red of the eye, but then he came to the horrid realization that it wasn't. There was something else . . . A struggle going on in him . . . Between black and red . . .?  
  
Red was winning . . .  
  
Kuja grasped a strand of his hair and gasped. It had become bloody crimson.  
  
"No! I can't transform! Not now! Zidane . . . He'll get killed . . .!"  
  
Everything was going numb. He was sinking down . . . down . . . further into the realm of no return . . .  
  
/You can do it . . ./ a voice whispered. It was a woman . . . Her voice was so familiar, yet Kuja couldn't put his finger on it in his state. /Fight them . . ./  
  
"I-I . . . Nng!" Kuja closed his eyes in exhaustion. It wasn't time yet. He knew when it would be time to let destiny win. But not now . . . Not yet . . . It wasn't time!  
  
"STOP!!!"  
  
Kuja gasped as if resurfacing from water. He was slumped over on the steps, the red glow of the ship reduced to a calm burning. It was over . . . He'd won . . . again.  
  
But how many more times could he fight Them before they destroyed him?  
  
Kuja rose shakily to his feet, silver hair falling in disarray around his face. He felt awful, but he knew he had to finish his task.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Well lookee here . . ." Drakja murmured, gazing out the main semicircular window of the Indomitable. "So that fool Kuja thinks he can defeat my ship . . . Fat chance! Time to gun it!"  
  
Drakja grinned widely, noting that the Invincible was right in his line of sight, and slammed his fist down on a glowing red button. He watched, rejoicing, as two massive, deadly bullets tore from the ship's hull and rammed into the side of the Invincible a half a mile away. The airship was jerked lethargically as it took the blow. However, the steel of the ship was powerful and the bullets left only two black char-marks on the side, smoking.  
  
Drakja folded his arms across his chest, chuckling.  
  
"Now to wait for the retaliation . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kuja snarled as he stumbled sideways, the ship rocking from a bullet-hit. The geonomes were shooting at his craft already!  
  
"Bastard!" Kuja hissed, racing for the control-room. "He's not going to get away with this!"  
  
The flickering panels appeared before the silver-haired sorcerer as he threw himself into the room. He knew, of course, what he had to do. Shoot back. He also knew Drakja expected a retaliation and was prepared for it. But after all, this WAS a battle.  
  
Kuja grasped the steering handle of the Invincible and wrenched it around. The ship roared and shot through the air at a speed most would not have thought possible of such a large airship. He circled the craft, facing himself in the direction of the Indomitable, and punched in a series of numbers on a keypad near his arm. Almost instantly the Invincible released a wave of torpedo-like objects. The enemy airship wasn't able to react fast enough and was thrust backwards a few feet from the bombardment of missiles. Drakja, obviously taken-aback, pulled his ship away hurriedly. Kuja grinned, knowing he'd caught the enemy geonome off guard.  
  
And thus began the most ferocious airship war in the history of Gaia . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
". . . Wow . . ." Vivi raised his wide-brimmed hat slightly to watch the spectacle above. "Th-they're really fighting . . ."  
  
Zidane paused in looting a dead geonome's pockets and looked up. "Kuja was trained in this sort of stuff, so of course he's good at it . . ."  
  
"You think he'll win?" Garnet queried, unscrewing the cap off an ether.  
  
"Wouldn't doubt it . . ."  
  
The two airship were caught in a fierce combat. Bullets rained through the air as they pummeled each other back and forth. There was a flash of white light as the Indomitable sent a torpedo careening towards Kuja's ship – which had put up an invisible barrier. The missile thudded into the side and exploded, sending fragments of dangerous shrapnel raining down upon the city.  
  
"It's getting intense . . ." Beatrix pointed out nervously. "Both ships are smoking badly,"  
  
"Yeah, and no matter how far we spread out, the geonomes just keep killing . . . We'll never be able to round them all up!" Steiner shouted, running past his comrades and down another alley.  
  
Zidane winced as the two airship circled each other, doing a sort of twisted dance as they fired senselessly at one another.  
  
Suddenly, the Indomitable pulled back. A glimmering barrier encircled it so that the Invincible's bullets hit the side like harmless little pellets and fell uselessly away. All the geonomes that the crew could see in the streets ceased in their action as if waiting for something; listening to an invisible command. Zidane frowned.  
  
". . . What is this . . .?"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Gah, what the hell's Drakja doing?!" Kuja hissed, slamming his fists down on the controls angrily. "He can't be giving up already!"  
  
The warlock sighed, backing away from the panel. There was nothing else to do until Drakja pulled down his barrier and attacked.  
  
"This is so offensive!" Kuja ranted. "Right in the middle of nowhere, even!"  
  
There was a moment of frustrated silence when the silver-haired sorcerer suddenly noticed the strange vortex-like cloud around the Indomitable was beginning to spin much faster than before. Kuja pressed his palms against the panel and leaned forward, peering furiously out the massive window.  
  
"What in the name of Atomos . . .?"  
  
And then the beams came, violet and red splashes of luminescent colors. Kuja saw now what he had not been able to see from his position before.  
  
Drakja had opened the eye of the Indomitable!  
  
The rays came spewing from beneath the accursed ship, flooding into the city like molten water. It washed over houses, shops, steeples, seemingly grasping at something and nothing at the same time.  
  
Kuja gaped, horrified. "No . . . He's drawing in the souls of the citizens that were killed . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Garnet squealed and covered her head as the cold energy washed over her body. The others dropped to their knees as well and closed their eyes, waiting for the screeching light to blow past them. Their hair whipped in a phantom wind; tearing at their clothes. Zidane let out a desperate groan and stumbled to his feet, fighting against the scorching air to drop down beside Garnet and hug her tightly, protecting her from the immense power.  
  
From around them they could make out glimmering lights floating out from the streets. Lost souls soon to be taken captive . . . The flickering orbs even tore themselves from the bodies of killed geonomes . . .  
  
Zidane cracked one eye open and watched, completely baffled, as a dying geonome in a sewer nearby tried to fight the power drawing its weakening soul from its body. Then the glowing orb surfaced from its flesh and darted into the sky. The geonome gargled, then went limp.  
  
Dead . . .  
  
Zidane could feel a burning in the back of his eyes. So much death . . . So much destruction . . . And for what?  
  
"Garland . . ." Zidane clenched his teeth in bitter resentment. "Whether on my grave or yours . . . I WILL make you pay for this . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kuja slumped against the console, too shocked to even speak.  
  
"I couldn't save them . . ." he whispered, watching as the glimmering lights – like little stars that had detached themselves from the black sky – danced into the air towards the glowing red eye of the Indomitable.  
  
It all felt so hopeless . . .  
  
Then suddenly, the last orb was gone and all energy evaporated from the city. Kuja blinked and felt a very sudden sense of foreboding.  
  
But the feeling came too late . . .  
  
His task completed, Drakja removed the Indomitable's shield in less than a second. The guns were out, and he fired . . .  
  
Kuja could only gasp as the largest missile he'd ever seen came careening through the night . . . straight towards his ship. The sorcerer cried out as an explosion rocked the Invincible. And all he saw was the roaring, biting flames before the console burst into a thousand pieces . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"NO!!!" Zidane leapt to his feet, clapping his hands over his mouth in horror as he watched the Invincible burst into flames. It fell through the air like a burning meteor of Hell . . . Drifting towards the ground. It smashed through a large building and, in small bursts and explosions, it curled up into smoke.  
  
"Argh, Kuja!" Zidane tore away from Garnet and raced for the carnage of the ship. The others followed him promptly, ignoring the popping of geonomes as they teleported away from the streets and back to their own mother-ship.  
  
"Oh my god . . ." Freya's green eyes were wide as they gazed upon the wreckage. The Invincible, though still mostly intact, was a smoldering pile of trash amongst the debris of Alexandria.  
  
It was like a molten death-trap . . .  
  
". . . Kuja . . ." Zidane sunk to his knees, staring at the rubble that his brother had disappeared beneath.  
  
Suddenly an image flickered nearby and Kuja appeared out of nowhere, sitting on the ground and wiping some blood off his arm onto his shirt.  
  
"Damn him!" the sorcerer cursed, licking at the wound and wincing. The crew gasped, stunned by Kuja's rather random arrival. Zidane was at his brother's side first, looking furious.  
  
"God damnit, Kuja! You scared the crap out of me!" he accused. Kuja looked up mildly, frowning, and pulled himself painfully to his feet. He bit his lip where small wounds pulled at his flesh.  
  
"Are you alright?" Beatrix queried, looking concerned. Kuja nodded, running his fingers agitatedly through his hair.  
  
"I'm fine . . . But the Invincible's not . . . And we didn't stop the attack . . ."  
  
Several of the crew turned around hurriedly and searched the skies for the Indomitable. The ship was long gone . . .  
  
It was over . . .  
  
"Terrible . . ." Garnet whispered. "I need to get back to the castle and take care of this mess . . . I think we're going to need to call another meeting with the rest of the nations. This cannot continue . . ."  
  
The others nodded, exhausted. There was no time to mourn the losses.  
  
The fight was only just beginning . . .  
  
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A/N: Hah . . . Another battle down the chute . . . So y'all wanna hear the news? *big grin* Okay, here goes . . . The next chapter, (thirty-six, isn't it?) officially marks the point where I first imagined this story. One day while I was sitting in a science class or something, I pictured, to the very last detail, the next chapter and the chapter after it and from there sprouted this entire little ficcy. Why is that important, you may ask? Several reasons:  
  
#1. After the next two chapters, this story will go in a complete downward spiral to the finale. No rest-stops, no fillers, no side-quests, NOTHING!!! Everything will come together for the big finish (which is, alas, still about ten to twelve chapters away + epilogue).  
  
#2. I'm incredibly familiar with the next chapters till the end, so there won't be anymore last minute changes (like Quina's death and a few other things).  
  
#3. We're finally going to learn stuff! Like . . . What those people corrupting Kuja are. Or . . . Every last little miniscule detail of Garland's plan. Or . . . what the hell the Metsubo is. And ya know when we find all that out? *can't contain excitement* In, like, two or three chapters! I'm not kidding! It's THAT close!  
  
#4. That means the story is almost over *sniff* . . .  
  
So read and review ya'll! MORE THAN THE LAST CHAPTER OR I'LL *censored*  
  
P.S. FYI, don't get the wrong idea 'bout me or Americans. I don't get nasty little random thoughts like the last chapter (as some reviewers suggested). Just so you all know, I've never had a boyfriend, I've never been in love (with a real guy), and I've never experienced . . . "those things." And no, it's not because I'm ugly or have no hope of ever finding a man . . . IT'S BECAUSE I'M ONLY FOURTEEN FREAKIN' YEARS OLD!!! PEOPLE MY AGE SHOULD NOT BE DATING OR DOING ANYTHING LIKE WHAT WAS OCCURING IN THE LAST CHAPTER!!! Most of the description stuff with Lulian and Kuja etc. was just how I "pictured" those sort of things and putting myself in their shoes. Not to mention I've read enough manga and fanfictions to get the GENERAL idea. So don't think wrongly of me or Americans . . . We're not all that bad (well, not ALL of us . . .)  
  
~~ Black Mage Dad ~~ (who's a girl . . .) 


	36. Mind Games

A/N: Aw, you people are so sweet with your reviews ^_^ Thank you to everyone for caring so much, I loves ya all *hug*! And yes, the story may be coming to a close, but there's still at least two months of updates left. So don't worry. You'll have reading material for quite some more time now. Besides, the so-called "downward spiral" of the plot doesn't start for at least two chapters. You'll see what I mean . . . Thank you everybuddy (lol, pardon the pun, I made that up just now . . .).  
  
Disclaimer: Yo no tengo Final Fantasy. That made no sense . . . Three years of Spanish classes and the most I've gotten out of it are "I don't have Final Fantasy."  
  
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"Usually, terrible things that are done with the excuse that progress requires them are not really progress at all, but just terrible things."  
  
– Russell Baker  
  
That night a terrible storm hit. To Queen Garnet Til Alexandros XVII it seemed fitting. She'd just lost hundreds of her citizens . . . Gone forever. And there would not even be rest for them in the after-life because their souls were held in captivity aboard an enemy airship. She had cried when no one was looking, for it was unfit for a queen to cry. Then she'd sent contact to Regent Cid pleading for aid. She just . . . felt so alone.  
  
But here was a strange thing for sure. While passing down the hall, Garnet had once again spotted her future brother-in-law, Kuja (how she shuddered at the thought), in the library once more, pouring over an incredibly thick book on the Great War. She'd seen him in there many, many times before. Always the same book. And always Garnet wondered why he bothered to read it if he had been not only IN the war, but the very cause of it! What was in that leafy volume that he found so fascinating . . .?  
  
So, feeling rather foolish but determined, Garnet tucked herself away behind a tree-trunk sized marble pillar in the library and watched the sorcerer; scrutinizing his every flip of the page.  
  
/What is he reading in there?!/ Garnet thought over and over again. /Why does he sit away in here, rotting? Why?/  
  
"Last I checked, Your Majesty, spying quietly behind a pillar was not scrawled in the list of requirements for queen . . ."  
  
Garnet started and turned deathly pale, jumping. "H-how – ?!" /Of course, stupid. He's an Angel of Death . . . He probably knew you were there the entire time./ Garnet took a deep breath, smoothed out her dress, and composed herself carefully before stepping out from behind the pillar with a confident expression on her face.  
  
"I'm very sorry," she apologized, though her eyes betrayed her lie. "I didn't mean to spy,"  
  
"Oh?" Kuja, without even looking up from his book or shifting at the table flipped a page and continued to read with empty eyes that didn't drift across the words. Garnet blinked, realizing he was mocking her with doubt.  
  
"Excuse me, but are you accusing me of stalking?" Her voice carried a sharp tone now. The Summoner's royal side was beginning to take control again.  
  
"Begging your pardon, but I did no such thing," Kuja smirked slightly, turning another page silently. "Though . . . I do find it odd that you – a woman of such noble upbringings – hid herself away behind a pillar to blatantly stare at a guest while he sat quietly reading a book . . ."  
  
Garnet felt the blood rush to her cheeks. She knew he was right, but still . . .!  
  
"Well, I find it odd that you lock yourself away in here every single day and read a book that accurately details the very life you already lived!"  
  
Kuja chuckled, still keeping his sightless eyes latched firmly on the text. "Then you have much to learn, Canary . . ."  
  
Garnet paled upon hearing the now alien title Kuja had once crooned so lovingly to her ear. It was creepy; cold . . . Like some fragment of their past life was resurfacing. To days when her very mother was trying to murder her . . . And Kuja loomed like a black spider in the back of her mind at every waking moment.  
  
"Wh-what's THAT supposed to mean?!"  
  
Kuja didn't respond, just licked a finger and peeled over another page. He seemed enveloped in something. Garnet was suddenly feeling defensive. After all the wonderful things Kuja had done for her and her comrades he still seemed like the villain. It was as if no matter how good he ever became, he would always be EVIL . . . Like there was just no end to the regeneration of his violent aura. Garnet wondered, for one split second, if perhaps it was merely her suspicions. However, she spoke regardless . . .  
  
"W-well . . . Well maybe you're just reading that book so . . . so you can find the ERRORS in your last attempt to ruin our lives in order to CORRECT them THIS time around!!!"  
  
A flash of pain suddenly crossed Kuja's face and he trembled before leaping huffily to his feet. His eyes burned momentarily red as he shook with rage. Then he threw down the book, bending one of its pages and nearly breaking the fragile spine as it landed text-down. He was breathing heavily, his maroon eyes locked furiously upon the queen. Garnet felt herself gripped with fear, like an icy fist was closing around her heart. Those eyes . . . such violence and insanity was mingled in them . . . So confused . . . Swirling. He could kill her with merely a word.  
  
But then Kuja's eyes spurted back to their snowy white and he seemed suddenly to be in agony. He wavered for a moment, then stormed around the table and shoved past Garnet. She caught a glimpse of his face before he vanished from the library and it was then that the Summoner felt the first stab of pain.  
  
It wasn't rage on his face anymore . . .  
  
It was hurt.  
  
Garnet stood still for a moment, the breath knocked out of her body. She felt strangely empty . . . Then her eyes fell on the book. When Kuja threw it down, he'd bent the page, marking the leaf he'd been reading. Garnet walked cautiously towards the table, not sure why she was so nervous, and gently lifted the book. Flipping it onto its back and resting the text on the table, Garnet silently read the page. Her eyes grew wider with every word as she raised the book closer to her face . . .  
  
"Upon the eve of Lindblum's massacre by the black mages and the Summon Atomos, it is said a great feast was held at Alexandria Castle. The queen's aforementioned servant, Kuja, was said to have collected the blood of the dead at the massacre and served it as drink for the guests. Whether Brahne knew of this or not is unknown . . ."  
  
Garnet let out a sharp gasp and the book tumbled from her hands. Disbelief clouded her face, marring her deep brown eyes. It was unbearable agony, having read those words. The Summoner clapped her hands over her mouth and backed away from the table. But it wasn't the atrocity of the words that had her in so much pain . . .  
  
/This book . . ./ Garnet thought, horrified. /Everything in it is a lie! Kuja . . . he's been reading his own LIBELING!/  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Garland couldn't help but smirk as he felt the crimson light of his armor pulsating with renewed strength. Obviously, Drakja had been successful in collecting more souls. As Garland had rigged it, the souls were immediately filtered out of the ship, into the Mist, and straight back to his hide-out. There was no way for them to escape. And with the Mist now flowing freely to Terra, he could begin to initiate the last stages of his plan.  
  
Garland gazed out across the plains near the entrance of his base. It was bare, desolate, melting into creamy snow in the distance.  
  
". . . So Garland has returned to the Forgotten Continent once more . . ."  
  
Garland whipped around, shocked that someone had been able to sneak up on him. However, Garland's surprise turned to a pleasant smile when he spotted the small, rather demonic cloaked figure standing a few feet from the entrance of his lair.  
  
"Well, well, if it isn't my old friend Triss. How have you been?" Garland folded his arms across his chest, scrutinizing Triss's tiny, shadow-like frame carefully. Triss snickered darkly, her voice cold and sharp from beneath the black folds of her hood.  
  
"I had a recent . . . encounter, shall we say . . . with several of your creations. Spawns of Drakja, if I recall, Garland,"  
  
Garland nodded, laughing. "Yes, that would be Dart, Ummei, and the new Drakja. They were sent for the Momoku-tama,"  
  
"Not very bright, are they?" Triss teased. Garland would have killed anyone else for this comment, but he knew not only that Triss was right, but that she meant it in a harmless way.  
  
"No, I'm afraid not," Garland responded dryly. "But what is the reason for your sudden appearance here? You almost never leave your cave,"  
  
"Ah, I have several reasons for being here," said Triss softly. "The first is to ask if your mission was successful,"  
  
"Ah, so you figured out my plan . . ."  
  
Triss sniggered. "Well, it doesn't take much more than a retarded oglop to put two and two together. As soon as I heard the bullets AND my gun were meant for the first Angel of Death I knew exactly what you were up to . . ."  
  
Garland laughed. "Ah, Triss, we think too much alike! It's rather scary! Yes, the mission was quite successful. Kuja was blinded and survived the Fever,"  
  
"And now he has obtained the Blind Sight?"  
  
"Naturally,"  
  
Triss looked thoughtful, though it was hard to tell with her face completely obscured in darkness. "So Kuja is finally becoming as strong as he was intended before creation,"  
  
"So it would seem," Garland shrugged. "I blocked his powers for a very long time, but he managed to use them on occasion anyways. He took out the alpha-female geonome in one stroke,"  
  
"Fascinating," Triss tented her pale fingers, now definitely deep in thought. "So his soul is swiftly gaining strength . . . Enough to defeat the very magics of his creator. Soon he will reach the point of being the true Angel of Death like his brother,"  
  
"Ah, I'm afraid that's not quite accurate," Garland looked sour. "For Kuja –or Zidane, for that matter – to be true Angels of Death, they would have to be brainless . . . creatures that follow orders without question,"  
  
Triss flinched, then burst into maniacal laughter. Several strands of her ebony black hair tumbled from her hood, making her look mad. Garland wondered what the weapons-smith found so funny.  
  
"Now tell me, Triss," Garland broke through Triss's deranged snickering. "What is your true intent for coming here? Surely you did not come all the way from the dregs of your cave to catch up on the success of a mission that in the end will affect you in absolutely no way,"  
  
"No, of course not," Triss giggled, and Garland could feel her soul-seeking eyes upon his face. "No, I came here on rather nasty business, I'm afraid,"  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"Yes," Triss sighed, and her black robes rustled uncomfortably in a breeze. "There is a minor . . . flaw . . . with the Momoku. One which, under most circumstances shouldn't do any harm, but for you . . ."  
  
Garland was shocked. Triss had created an imperfect poison? And sold it?  
  
". . . What is the flaw?"  
  
"Well," Triss folded her thin arms across her chest. "Because the Momoku settles itself in the bloodstream of its victim, the poison acts only while blood is circulating properly. What I mean to say is, the affects of the Momoku wear off in someone's moment of death, or if they are near death,"  
  
". . . Is that all? That doesn't seem so bad . . ."  
  
"Well, I find it terrible," Triss hissed bitterly. "It's always the same thing. I give my test subjects Momoku and they mope around blabbering about ALL the beautiful things they could have seen but missed. Then, when they're slowly and PAINFULLY dying from whatever other tests I've performed on them, they can – gasp – suddenly see! And then, rather than sobbing over all that they missed while blind as they're dying, and wishing, as the delicious darkness consumes them, that they could have seen their loved ones one last time, they are suddenly blessed with vision and are OVERJOYED at their death! It's disgusting, this lack of suffering . . ."  
  
Garland chuckled. "But that's just you. This doesn't affect me at all!"  
  
"Oh, but it does," Triss corrected curtly. Her eyes flashed in the light and Garland caught the red, slit-like pupils. "Think about it. Blind Sight or not, Kuja's eyes are permanently damaged by the poison as long as it resides within him. What this means is Kuja is unable to perform certain magics while his vision is impaired – a problem that ailed Saishoja centuries ago, as well. But if he were to be injured so terribly that death became inevitable, his sight would return to him. He would, ironically enough, be able to hinder you from behind whilst on his very last breath!"  
  
". . . I see. That is a problem," Garland rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "But what am I supposed to do about it?"  
  
". . . You know . . ." Triss's voice rattled like a snake.  
  
"Ah, of course. I have to complete my plans before any rescue is possible,"  
  
"Exactly," Triss nodded. "I merely came to warn you, 'tis all. If you heed it, there should be no problem. Your plan is nearly flawless,"  
  
"Yes, except for one thing . . ."  
  
"Hmm? What is that?"  
  
Garland sighed heavily. "Drakja's final power. I had hoped by now he would have figured it out, but alas, he does not even realize he has one,"  
  
Triss raised a delicate, hidden eyebrow within her cloak. "Is that so? But if I recall, the original Drakja was not aware of it either?"  
  
"Not so," Garland shook his head. "Drakja was fully aware of it and knew how to use it. Alas, however, he never utilized it in his life. It would have saved the poor fool some . . . nasty situations,"  
  
"Indeed . . ." Triss hesitated, then flashed the Terran overlord one of her fanged, white-wash smiles. "Say, Garland . . . Are there any geonomes out here at the base? I'd like to . . . have some fun with them . . ."  
  
"No, I'm afraid not," Garland chuckled as the tiny person shivered with delight at the thought of more torture on the poor, unsuspecting creatures.  
  
"Ah, damn . . ."  
  
"But if you come back in a couple of days, this place will be teeming with them,"  
  
Triss's face brightened considerably beneath the shroud. "Yes . . . Yes, I will do that," she cackled with glee, then turned to leave. Garland watched her for a moment, and then blinked as everything around him seemed to grow dimmer. This lasted for less than a snapped second, and then he realized Triss was gone . . .  
  
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Kuja bared his teeth furiously as he stormed down the hall, as far from the library as possible. How could she – after everything he'd done – still believe him false?! What had he done to deserve this?  
  
/You killed both her mothers for starters . . ./  
  
"No duh," Kuja snapped to himself.  
  
/And destroyed her kingdom . . ./  
  
"I did not!" Kuja ran his fingers agitatedly through his hair. "Garland did!"  
  
/You're only putting the blame on someone else . . . It's your fault Garland had to do it . . ./  
  
"God, shut up!"  
  
Kuja stopped dead, eyes wide. /Wait a minute . . ./ he thought to himself. /That wasn't MY voice accusing me just now . . ./  
  
"Oh holy Shiva . . ." Kuja trembled slightly with fear. "I'm hearing voices in my head . . . Maybe I AM insane . . ."  
  
He tried for a moment to contact the phantom voice once more but was unsuccessful. All was silent in his mind besides the swirling of his own misery and inner thoughts. As it should have been . . .  
  
Kuja was suddenly startled by a clattering sound nearby. He turned in the direction of the disruption but saw nothing there.  
  
/. . . Strange . . ./  
  
Kuja decided to let curiosity get the better of him and trotted down the hall in search of whatever had caused the noise. He heard it again down the hall to his right. Kuja decided to let his anger dissipate in light of the situation and concentrated on solving the mystery.  
  
"Oh, for crying out loud . . ." Kuja stopped walking when he realized the sound had led him straight to the doors of Alexandria Castle where the storm boiled and raged on the other side. He could see the rain splattering against the windows as the rumble of thunder gargled outside. Something darted past the window, faster than the lightning in the sky. Kuja shrugged.  
  
"It's not like I'd listen to the queen after what she just did to me anyways . . ."  
  
And with that – and happily disregarding all the rules laid out before him – Kuja shoved open the great, painted doors of the castle and went out into the crying storm.  
  
As Kuja crept into the empty gondola he heard the whooshing sound of something sweeping the air nearby. /I'm being led on . . ./ Kuja realized, frowning. /Whatever this thing is . . . it wants me to follow it somewhere . . ./  
  
The trip across the moat was fairly quick even despite the pouring rain and howling wind. The sky above was black and inky. Once on the other side, Kuja blessed his cloak and its thickness and quickly hugged it around himself as he leapt out of the small boat. He heard a clattering nearby and Kuja quickly turned in that direction.  
  
The silver-haired sorcerer wasn't sure how long he played this strange game. He remained forever unaware of the way the cold water soaked into his cloths, weighing them down, and his hair clung to his back. The ivory feathers laced into his part were laid flat against the rain.  
  
Eventually his search led him to an apartment-like building somewhere in a denser area of Alexandria. The building was several stories high and he recognized it as the place where Megan's odd friend worked.  
  
/Well, now what?!/  
  
The door to the inn swung open and closed of its own accord. Kuja sighed.  
  
/I guess I have to go in, then . . ./  
  
Kuja pushed open the wooden door and snuck quietly inside. Megan's friend – Amy or whatever – was slumped over asleep at the front desk. Kuja didn't want to wake her or create any chaos, so he simply crept by the young woman.  
  
A fluttering sound came from the stairs and Kuja quickly scrambled after the phantom figure.  
  
Soon, Kuja was spiraling endlessly up the staircase, one step after another, never sure where he was supposed to go or stop. When it seemed the madness would never end, Kuja suddenly found himself standing at the top floor and staring up at the hatch that led to the roof.  
  
"Don't tell me I've got to go out THERE now . . ."  
  
Someone knocked on the portal. Kuja sighed and carefully leapt up, grabbed the handle, and yanked down the door to allow a set of stairs to crash noisily at his feet. Kuja flinched, hoping he hadn't woken Amy, then climbed up the steps and into the wailing storm.  
  
The roof was empty, the poor, primitive gutter system allowing the rain to rise like a flooding lake atop the building. The ledges going in a rectangular shape created a three-inch deep pool of rain. Kuja stepped out onto the roof and felt the icy-cold water rise up to his ankles, rippling out in tiny rivulets from where he stood. Immediately his legs and feet went numb. The plinking of rain was deafening, leaving a sparkling, fuzzy halo around the sorcerer's body. He blinked water from his eyes and waited. Then he growled.  
  
"DRAKJA!!!" Kuja's voice carried out into the storm. Lightning fizzled and snapped in the smeared sky, temporarily illuminating the city before returning to the shadows. When Kuja received no answer, he tried again.  
  
"DRAKJA!!! GOD DAMN YOU, I KNOW YOU'RE THERE! COME – OUT – NOW!!!"  
  
There was a flash nearby and Kuja whipped around, snarling. Gone.  
  
/The eye . . . They want to go to the eye . . ./  
  
Kuja blinked, recalling those words from only the day before. The voice, those people . . . something . . . something was connecting. Kuja gasped as a thousand memories suddenly resurfaced and flooded his mind at once.  
  
/Flash/  
  
"I am trying to warn you."  
  
"Beware of the Metsubo . . ."  
  
"Your soul was given to you, therefore, it can be taken away . . ."  
  
Holograms? Some sort of illusion?  
  
"I just needed to borrow the power from wretched souls that cannot die . . . The souls trapped inside the Invincible welcomed me with open arms. They were fed up with being your prisoners, Garland . . ."  
  
"You and the queen had much more in common than you may have realized."  
  
". . . in the scheme of life, which is more important? The body, or the soul?"  
  
"The soul, of course."  
  
"Bingo."  
  
"Why do you keep commenting on my soul? The thing is useless! It should have died years ago!"  
  
"And it hasn't. Ever wondered why?"  
  
"You must go to the Invincible and deposit – "  
  
"We will NOT go to him! You cannot make us!"  
  
His name . . . his life . . . his destiny . . . No longer belonged to him.  
  
There was one, though A woman. She was pleading. Make them stop . . . Make them stop . . .  
  
"Kuja . . . Let us out. Or you'll be sorry . . ."   
  
"It's not what he DID to us! It's what he COULD make us do AGAIN!"  
  
"Don't . . . interfere . . . We must . . . deactivate . . ."   
  
"Garland no longer has the souls . . ."  
  
". . . A year ago the limit on your life ended . . ."  
  
"You're nothing without us. Just like before."  
  
"Ah, isn't it lovely? The destruction of Terra . . . And it was all Our fault."  
  
". . . Mother . . .?"  
  
Was his time with his brother dwindling that quickly?  
  
"Is he forgotten too?"  
  
". . . The truth would kill you . . ."  
  
He felt like his control over his life was slipping away.  
  
". . . Don't die . . ."  
  
A struggle going on in him . . . Between black and red . . .  
  
"You can do it . . ." a voice whispered. It was a woman . . . Her voice was so familiar . . . "Fight them . . ."  
  
/Flash/  
  
Kuja's whitened eyes widened in horror. Spinning . . . Everything around him was spinning . . . Rain faded to black and white smudges swirling dizzily around his head. He felt like he was going to pass out.  
  
He understood . . . Now on the brink of darkness atop the empty roof he understood everything that had happened since his very creation . . . since Saishoja's death. It all made sense. It all clicked.  
  
But now he, too, understood the consequences. There was no fighting destiny. No matter how he turned, it would all end the same.  
  
Then why fight it? Let fate take its toll . . .  
  
It was the end . . .  
  
"Drakja!" he called out, weaker this time. "Just . . . Just do it – now! I know what you want . . . and . . . Take them! Take them now! I surrender!"  
  
There was no response save the pitter-patter of rain against the concrete.  
  
"GOD DAMN YOU TO HELL, YOU ASSHOLE!!! I SURRENDER!!!"  
  
There was a snicker from behind him and Kuja felt the shadow looming up over his head.  
  
/I'm sorry, Brahne . . ./ he thought softly into himself. /I failed you . . ./  
  
/. . . It's not your fault . . . Your brother will save us . . ./  
  
Then Kuja closed his eyes and allowed the sweet freedom to come. He heard the swish, the swoop, felt the green eyes flickering on his back. Yes, now it was over. No more waiting for it to come . . . It was over.  
  
The end . . .  
  
And his final thoughts, telepathically to Zidane, before darkness grasped his sight forever were clear as day:  
  
/It was the gun all along . . ./  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Zidane!" Garnet knocked desperately upon his door. "Please tell me you're in here! Come out! Please! It's an emergency!"  
  
Garnet heard a loud yawn and the door swung open to reveal Zidane looking very ruffled, his hair in disarray, and dark black circles under his eyes.  
  
"Ah, darn it, Dagger . . . I was just takin' a cat-nap . . ."  
  
However, Zidane sobered immediately when he saw the urgent look upon his fiancé's face.  
  
"Whoa, what's wrong, Dagger?"  
  
Garnet whimpered, wringing her fingers nervously.  
  
"I . . . I think I did something bad, Zidane!" Garnet abruptly burst into tears. The blonde genome pulled the queen gently into a comforting embrace and rubbed her back as soothingly as possible. He couldn't help but smile slightly at how – queen or not – Garnet still ran to him whenever she needed help.  
  
"Shh . . . shh . . . It's alright. You can tell me,"  
  
Garnet pulled back, still sniffling, and sighed.  
  
"I-I pissed off your brother really . . . really bad . . ."  
  
"Well, that's not news,"  
  
"Zidane!" Garnet threw the genome an angry look. Zidane laughed and held up his hands apologetically.  
  
"Sorry! Sorry! Go on!"  
  
"Well . . ." Garnet bowed her head in despair, rubbing her eyes as she felt a fresh wave of tears coming. "I . . . I said some really horrible things that were out of place . . . Things he didn't deserve and . . . things I wish I could take back,"  
  
"Is that all?"  
  
"N-no . . ." Garnet looked fearfully into her fiancé's aqua-blue eyes. "Kuja was so furious he stormed away and . . . Zidane, I think he might have gone outside!"  
  
Zidane flinched, feeling a terrible fear creep up his spine. Not wanting to frighten Garnet, the genome quickly put on a calm, composed expression.  
  
"Th-that's alright, Dagger . . . I can just go out there and find him . . . No problem," he held Garnet's face in his hands and kissed her quickly on the cheek. "I'll go get him. Don't you worry, alright?"  
  
Garnet nodded, gulping, and watched Zidane as he brushed past her and down the hall.  
  
"Please find him . . ." she whispered.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Oh, of all the gosh darn times for there to be a storm . . ." Mr. 41 snarled, ushering the children along. "But at least we're almost there,"  
  
"Is Daddy in that big city?" one of the tykes queried cautiously, tugging on Mr. 41's robe.  
  
"He sure is," the older Black Mage responded, chuckling. "It's less than a mile away . . . We should be there soon . . ."  
  
He squinted his lamp-like yellow eyes, cursing the threatening clouds above the grand, torch-lit city.  
  
"But at least we're FINALLY almost there . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Zidane shivered against the cold rain. No matter how tightly he pulled his long coat around himself, it was still wet inside.  
  
"Dammit, Kuja . . . Where are you?"  
  
He'd already searched Alexandria for a half an hour and there had been no sign of the silver-tailed warlock. Soon his quest had taken him into a more crowded section of the city; one of the touristy areas near the market square. Zidane highly doubted Kuja would have gone there to vent his sorrow, except . . .  
  
"Oh geez!" Zidane gasped. An inn loomed up dark and foreboding above him. And Zidane saw that there was someone up on the roof, a murky silhouette barely visible against he inky black sky. A flash of lightning revealed ivory hair . . . and white eyes.  
  
"Ah! Kuja!"  
  
/Oh shit . . . He's up on a high roof . . . In a storm . . . In the dead of night! That can only mean one thing!/  
  
Zidane raced for the inn, knowing he had to stop Kuja before he took the irrevocable plunge. He barged into the building so loudly that it woke the desk-clerk who was sound asleep.  
  
"Eep! Ah, who the hell are you?!"  
  
"SorryladyurgentmattersI'llgiveyouatiplatersorry!" Zidane flew past the startled woman and threw himself at the steps leading to the roof. No time for dawdling. The desk-clerk harrumphed as he shot past her.  
  
"No decency in people these days, I tell ya . . . No decency,"  
  
Zidane scrambled up the steps, nearly losing his footing, and then made it to the already open path to the top of the building. Zidane took the stairs two at a time and skidded to a halt on the rain-soaked roof. Water splashed up around him, spraying in his eyes.  
  
"No, Kuja! Don't do it, you – what the hell?"  
  
Zidane froze stone-still as he took in the sight before him.  
  
Lying face-down on the rooftop, silver hair splayed out around him, face pale as a ghost, was Kuja. The rain ran eerily down his form as the water kept him half-submerged. The warlock's eyes were closed, a slightly pained expression on his face. And above him stood a menacing shadow, leering at Zidane with jade-stone, jaguar-green eyes . . .  
  
Zidane shivered as the telepathic words suddenly surfaced in his mind.  
  
/It was the gun all along . . ./  
  
"Wh . . . what . . .?" Zidane shook his head, gulping.  
  
". . . What in the name of all things holy did you do to him . . .?"  
  
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A/N: *shiver* This chapter was . . . creepy. Very dark, very evil. But hey, Triss came back, and she's always good for a laugh! I got so many reviews saying people liked Triss that I stuck her in ANOTHER chapter! Originally Garland was just going to figure that news out by himself, but then I decided "heck, why not just have Triss tell him personally?" But DAMN that was a disturbing chapter. Let's take a poll: how many people think I just killed Kuja? Hmm? Hmm? Probably everyone *sweatdrop* . . . Did I? I'm not tellin', bwaha! You're all gonna have to wait until, like, the END of the next chapter! Why the end? Because first something really AWESOME is gonna happen! So let me sum this up as best I can: Kuja-fans, I'm at your mercy. I promise everything will work out. And Zidane-fans: Hot DOG do I have a chapter for you! If anyone here is a fan of Zidane or REALLY likes battles, the next chapter is a serious must-read. So yeah . . . Then the chapter after that is where we discover EVERYTHING! And yeah, Kuja just figured the plot out himself. And he wasn't surrendering because he was weak! We'll find out in two chapters why he gave up. And all that random dialogue will make sense I PROMISE!!! Stick with me! Heehee.  
  
Lee y revisa por favor! I think that means "read and review, please" but like I said, three years of Spanish (one of them in an accelerated program) and basically all I can say is "hello" "goodbye" and "hot stuff, baby!" Hehe, now you probably all wanna know how to say "hot stuff, baby." It's "calientes cosas, nene!" Or if you wanna say "You are SO good-looking" you say "Estás muchísimo guapo." Lol. I'm gonna dump Spanish and take Japanese instead . . .  
  
Oh, and a reviewer asked if the Invincible ACTUALLY has missiles . . . I have no idea, but I like to pretend it does because it always seemed like a warship to me. I mean, Garland used it for blowing stuff up, so why shouldn't it have missiles, lol?  
  
Ooh, and you people should seriously go to adventchildren.net (the Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children website). Go to the screens section, because the new screens feature an almost CLEARLY defined shot of Vincent Valentine (meaning it's, like, totally the real deal now). He's crouched up in a tree, and you can actually make out the red of his cape AND his long black hair. AND his claw ^_^ I almost passed out when I saw it. Cute . . . long-haired . . . bishounen . . . And there was a totally hot shot of Cloud AND the most adorable long, silver-haired bishounen EVER. He looked like Kuja wearing skin-tight black leather and a gun. For anyone who goes there, I'm talking about the picture of the guy where the gun is pointed sort of on an angle towards the screen. *sigh* Just look for the Kuja- like picture . . .  
  



	37. The Rooftop Battle: Zidane vs Drakja!

A/N: Mwa, I like this chapter . . . I'm not sure if it works, but it sounds alright to me. And now for my annual cry-fest: *sob* Seventeen reviews in three days! You are all SO cool! You make me feel so loved . . . *sob sniffle Iwanttothanktheacademy* I'm also excited because a certain reviewer whose name can't be mentioned until the end of the next chapter not only got the plot, but hit the nail right on the head. Me so proud of anonymous-person-yet-to-be-named. But don't you all start going and reading the reviews to see who. You . . . You wouldn't want to spoil it for yourselves, would you *shiny eyes*? Also, I spoke with Triss, and she told me to tell ThunDaGa that you are "astute" and a "kawaii genius" for figuring out that she named herself after a squirrel (I never read that particular Redwall book myself . . .). Triss also asked if she could be scattered throughout the rest of the chapters. Herm . . . I'll think about it ^_^ And happy birthday to IMPROVED Uber Rei Model 06! Okay, my shpeal is over . . .  
  
Disclaimer: Moi? Own Final Fantasy? Why, if I did, Final Fantasy IX would have a sequel movie, too . . . And yeah *rant rant*  
  
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"Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing."  
  
– Macbeth, William Shakespeare  
  
Zidane was unable to utter a word. What it was that he was seeing, he remained unsure. But only two thoughts managed to come together in his mind: Kuja was in trouble, and Drakja was at fault. Both spelled death for the geonome.  
  
Drakja tore his blazing green eyes from Zidane's face and lowered them down to Kuja's unmoving, lithe form.  
  
". . . Poor thing . . ." the sinister man whispered softly. "You fought it so long . . . But in the end you realized . . . There was never really a battle to begin with . . ."  
  
/Wh-what is he saying . . .?!/ Zidane felt himself gripped with fear. /Kuja couldn't be . . . No, he's not! He's breathing, I can see it from here . . ./  
  
"You never completely understood," Drakja continued, staring down piteously at Kuja's form. "You had guesses, yes. And in your subconscious you always knew. And when you realized the truth, you gave up. It was so much easier, wasn't it? Poor, poor thing . . ." Drakja stooped slightly and ran the back of his hand delicately over Kuja's sopping silver hair.  
  
As if he was petting him like a dog . . .  
  
Zidane felt rage boiling up within him like some violent beast was attempting to tear his rib-cage apart. Anger began to build. Then hate. No one . . . No one had the right to treat his brother this way . . .  
  
"Take . . . your fucking hands . . . off of him . . ." Zidane hissed. His voice was soft, dangerous, lethal. It could barely be heard above the din of the storm, yet Drakja caught every last word of it. The geonome straightened himself, smirking, and Zidane saw him hide something behind his back; like a canister of some sort.  
  
"So what are you going to do about it?" Drakja queried. "I'm done. I've done my task. My part in Garland's plan is over for the most part. So what are you going to do about it?"  
  
"Do about WHAT?" Zidane snarled. Drakja grinned.  
  
"My victory,"  
  
"What, killing Kuja?" Zidane's aqua blue eyes narrowed accusingly. "Congratulations, bastard,"  
  
"Kill him?" Drakja seemed amused. "No, no, never kill him. Why would I want to harm such a delicate creature, hmm?" He glanced down at Kuja almost . . . lovingly. "No, my orders were to keep him alive,"  
  
"Then what the hell did you do to him?"  
  
"What did I do?" Drakja's green eyes were dancing in the rain. "I freed him. Freed him from the confines of this accursed shell he calls a body . . . I freed Them. I saved your brother's so-called life. You should be bowing down before me and begging to do me favors. My dear Angel of Death, you should be kissing my feet . . ."  
  
". . . I would rather DIE . . ." Zidane could feel his patience beginning to fray. He didn't understand a word Drakja was saying, and there was a dull pounding in his ears.  
  
"Oh, that can be arranged," Drakja smiled cutely. Zidane's mind was beginning to flood with suspicion again. The overlord was planning something . . .  
  
"Would you like to try?" Zidane raised an eyebrow and put his hands on his hips. Drakja folded his arms across his chest, looking mildly surprised.  
  
"What's this? Is the second-soul genome challenging Garland's first-soul creation?"  
  
"I dunno. Am I?"  
  
"I think you are," Drakja looked delighted. Obviously, he'd been waiting for this opportunity for a very long time. "Come then. Attack me, oh great Angel of Death. Show me your best,"  
  
Zidane frowned. Drakja's voice contained too much rapture for his liking. There was definitely something else going on . . .  
  
For a moment, Zidane stood there and allowed the rain to lash against his face. Then a cry arose from his lips and he charged. Drakja did so as well, drawing a massive blade from his sheathe as he dove through the air. Zidane reached back and withdrew the Ultima Weapon, which gleamed menacingly in the black night. The two creations met head-on and their weapons collided. A loud clang filled the air, and the reverberation of the impact sent the two enemies skidding backwards. Water spurted from their paths. His arms already aching, Zidane grit his teeth.  
  
/This is going to be more difficult than I thought . . . Gods only know how many weapons Drakja has on hand . . . And I don't want to get Kuja involved . . ./  
  
Zidane knew immediately that he had to move the battle towards the center of the rooftop, away from Kuja's prone form.  
  
Zidane swerved around, forming a semi-circle and attacking Drakja from the side in the hopes of driving him out of the way. What the genome thought would be a painful swish of his scythe was blocked by a simple flick of the wrist. Zidane stumbled backwards, shocked as the double ends of his weapon shivered in his hands.  
  
/He blocked that like it was nothing!/  
  
Drakja smiled, the doom eminent on his nemesis's face.  
  
"Having second thoughts, Angel of Death?"  
  
"Not even slightly!"  
  
Zidane gripped the middle handle that connected the two ends of his blades and drove forward again. He put all his force and, taking advantage of gravity and the monstrous weight of his sword, brought the Ultima Weapon careening through the air. Drakja blocked it, but Zidane came right back. Caught off guard, Drakja took a step backwards to receive the third blow. Zidane realized his plan was working. Step by step, every clash of their swords was driving Drakja further and further away from Zidane's unconscious brother.  
  
Unfortunately, with every clang Drakja's fury was becoming clearer and clearer. If Zidane pushed too hard, he knew he would regret it with his life.  
  
"Aha!" Drakja cackled and suddenly lunged beneath one of Zidane's blows. He rammed into the genome's chest, knocking the wind out of him. Zidane skidded backwards onto the roof, water pooling up around him. He lay there for a moment, stunned. Drakja smirked and twirled his blade.  
  
"Is that the best you've got?" the green-eyed man taunted.  
  
"Of course it isn't!" Zidane hissed, trying to hide his pain. It felt like his ribs had been hit by an anvil. They were definitely bruised.  
  
"So get up,"  
  
"I am!" Zidane bit his lip, tasting blood, and rose shakily to his feet. The world spun, but he didn't let Drakja see it. Gripping his weapon tightly, Zidane prepared for more combat.  
  
". . . Come and get it . . ."  
  
Water streamed off Zidane's Ultima Weapon as he swung it in a sideways arc towards Drakja's body. Drakja dodged it and moved in for an opening. Zidane backpedaled slightly, shielding his body with his blades. Drakja laughed and leapt into the air.  
  
"Nng!" Zidane, still dizzy, stepped too far back and slipped. He landed hard and raised his swords in defense. Drakja came down on top of him, but Zidane caught his enemy's weapon and flung him backwards over his own head. Drakja landed lightly on his feet and skid, then charged forward once more as if he had a boundless source of energy. Zidane leapt hurriedly to his feet, preparing to take on another hit.  
  
Within moments, Zidane realized the truth behind the brewing battle. It was completely and utterly unfair. Drakja had more weapons and hadn't just run halfway across a city. He was going to beat Zidane not out of skill, but simply out of luck.  
  
"Damn it . . ." the blonde muttered as Drakja's sword whizzed by overhead. /I've got to catch him off guard . . . Somehow . . ./  
  
Zidane waited, continuing to dodge and parry. He knew there was one way he could beat Drakja, but he'd have to hold off. It had to be the right moment . . .  
  
/Now!/  
  
Drakja brought his blade in sideway, trying to trip Zidane. The genome leapt up, surprising his nemesis, and then stomped down hard. He literally jumped on the flat of Drakja's weapon. However, Drakja "forgot" to let go and – after being jerked forward by his own sword – he fell face forward onto the rooftop with his sword beneath Zidane's boot. The genome stepped back, growling.  
  
"Gotcha,"  
  
Drakja pulled himself up onto his hands and knees, shaking the water out of his hair like a dog. Then he laughed.  
  
"Clever, Angel of Death. Very clever. Rather . . . Rather funny, actually," he chuckled, dragging himself to his feet and reaching down to retrieve his sword. However, Zidane brought his Ultima Weapon screaming through the air as if aiming for Drakja's hand. The geonome pulled his arm back, gasping, and Zidane saw his face flood with fear at how narrowly the mammoth blade had missed his outstretched, vulnerable arm. However, his face became twice as frightened when he saw where the Ultima Weapon had landed.  
  
Drakja's sword – a very nice one, in fact – was cleaved cleanly in two. The separated pieces, cut through the blade itself, lay there uselessly, their luster seemingly gone. Drakja's green eyes went dull.  
  
"You . . . You cut my sword in half . . ."  
  
"Yes. You can count, can't you?" Zidane mocked. "One, two. Two pieces of your sword,"  
  
Drakja's eyes narrowed. "You think you're very smart, don't you, Angel of Death? Garland thinks you're wonderful . . . Kuja's always been jealous . . . You think you're just SO damn great . . ."  
  
Zidane raised an eyebrow. "Better than YOU, yes,"  
  
"Oh, but you're not," Drakja rose slowly, the rain running off his beige, leathery trench-coat. The ends of his garment floated eerily in the ever- rising waters. "You underestimated me . . . again. You see, not only do I have MANY more swords and weapons where that came from AND at my disposal . . . but apparently you've forgotten that I have certain other . . . abilities . . . that you, yourself, could never possess,"  
  
"Is that so?"  
  
Though Zidane sounded confident, he knew deep down that he was pushing far too many buttons. Indeed, he remembered a conversation he'd had with Kuja ONLY on the techniques of geonomes. They were deadly foes, weapons or not. But in the heat of the battle, Zidane didn't think fast enough to anticipate Drakja's next move . . .  
  
Drakja bared his teeth in a menacing grin. Zidane frowned, unsure of what the geonome was doing. Then he felt the first stab of fear since the battle began.  
  
Drakja's teeth were lengthening, curving into points. His canines grew down over his chin into jagged, serrated fangs. His coffee-colored hair was yellowing at the roots. The abnormal color trickled down to the very last tip just as his hair began to melt into his body. It fanned out, trailing down his back like furred dragon spikes. His face narrowed, then stretched out into a thick muzzle. Violet fur began to erupt from his skin as his arms and legs thickened and grew to massive, tree-trunk sized proportions. Powerful muscles rippled and tensed beneath his flesh as his thin geonome tail doubled up and sprouted into a serpent-sized appendage ending in a crimson fin, glistening with bloody scales. His nails stretched and cracked, morphing into yellow, dirty claws that were bigger than entire fingers. His body seemed to explode as it grew larger, larger, till he was more than ten feet high and the two inky black horns on his head seemed to brush the heavens. His arms became as long as his legs, toppling his body down onto all fours with a thud. His eyes became slit- red sockets, deep and glowing. An unearthly growl arose from the monster's throat and it took a menacing step forward. There was a crash and the entire roof shook with its force. Zidane couldn't even believe it . . .  
  
Drakja had become a Behemoth . . .  
  
/Oh CRAP, they're shapeshifters! How could I forget?!/  
  
The behemoth shook out its golden mane, spraying water everywhere, and curled its lip. The creature roared, snapping its powerful jaws, then moved forward to circle again. Zidane clutched his Ultima Weapon desperately.  
  
/I'm not going to win this! I can't take on an entire Behemoth myself! And this one has human-like intelligence!/  
  
Zidane backed up, nearly blanked out with fear. Drakja bore down above him, his shadow falling across Zidane's body. The water on the roof sloshed with his immense weight as the creature snarled, revealing its glistening, saliva-coated fangs.  
  
"Ah, get back you FREAK!!!" Zidane rushed forward quite suddenly, slashing at Drakja's front leg. The monster simply lifted a clawed paw and swatted Zidane away. The genome stumbled backwards, avoiding the fierce talons. Unfortunately, he was too slow . . . Thin tears appeared suddenly across Zidane's rain-soaked shirt. Red began to blossom beneath it. The behemoth made a coughing sound. Zidane realized the monster was laughing . . .  
  
Drakja moved in again, whipping his neck fiercely and snapping his lethal jaws. Zidane leapt out of the way, then sprung backwards as Drakja lunged for the kill. It was steadily becoming a game of avoid and attack. Drakja would rush at Zidane, Zidane would dodge him. The genome would do this for several turns, then spring in for an opening if given the chance. But his moves seemed to do little or nothing to faze the great beast . . .  
  
"God, DIE already!" Zidane slashed Drakja across the muzzle with his Ultima Weapon. The Behemoth roared and reared backwards, blood spewing from his violet-furred nose. He came back down with a crash and began bucking wildly around the roof, shaking his head fiercely. Zidane just barely avoided being impaled by those monstrous claws.  
  
/Crap . . ./ Zidane thought hurriedly. /This is getting dangerous, and Kuja's still really vulnerable . . . What is Drakja's weakness?/  
  
The Behemoth charged suddenly, ramming Zidane hard in the chest and throwing him backwards. The Ultima Weapon flew from the blonde's hands and skidded across the roof. Zidane looked up just in time to see a dark tunnel rimmed with pink gums and razor knives. He shrieked and dove under Drakja's massive form. He slid across the slippery roof and leapt up hurriedly to anticipate the next attack. Already Drakja was getting over the confusion and was turning around slowly to stare down his nemesis. The creature's red eyes were steaming with the bloodlust.  
  
/He MUST have a weakness . . .!/ Zidane pleaded to himself. /This can't be the end . . . It CAN'T be!/  
  
Drakja charged, barreling across the roof. Zidane grunted and dodged out of the way. Luckily, the monster missed him by at least a foot.  
  
/Wait a minute . . . That wasn't luck . . ./  
  
Drakja skidded and lost his balance. His hulking form crashed to the ground, causing the entire inn to shake. Zidane's bright blue eyes widened.  
  
"What in the . . .?"  
  
Drakja lugged himself onto his four, table-sized paws, bristling. His fur was standing on end as if he were being threatened by something. A rumbling growl escaped through the Behemoth's fiery fangs. Drakja let out a roar that could have split glass and threw himself at Zidane. The genome didn't even have to think. He simply side-stepped and watched as Drakja tripped clumsily and landed in a purple heap on the other side of the roof.  
  
/Is it just my imagination . . . Or is Drakja getting slower . . .?/  
  
Zidane observed this for several attacks. Indeed, with every move Drakja seemed to become more and more consumed with exhaustion. At first he thought it was because the geonome was unused to such a large, bulky form. But that didn't make sense. Drakja had started off so agile . . . And it certainly wasn't from any damage Zidane had inflicted (if he'd inflicted any at all, the genome thought bitterly . . .).  
  
"Geez, what's your problem?!" Zidane yelled as Drakja wavered dangerously on his paws. The Behemoth snorted, steam shooting from his nostrils with rage. He roared and charged at Zidane again. But Drakja was unsteady if not weak. His hulking legs gave out from under him and, after brushing ridiculously past Zidane, he collapsed onto the roof and lay there, a panting, heaving mess of purple fur.  
  
Zidane blinked several times, stunned. The Behemoth locked one furious red eye on him but did not get up. Then Zidane understood . . .  
  
/Of course! It's like Kuja explained to me before! Geonomes can only hold their transformations for a certain amount of time before it exhausts them! He said Lulian was the only geonome he'd ever seen that could remain in another form for such an extended period of time! Drakja's strength has given out on him already!/  
  
Zidane stood there for several minutes, staring at Drakja's shuddering form. The rain ran down his nose, through his clothes, icy cold. Still, he remained. He and Drakja seemed to be staring one another down. It was a fierce battle: red eyes – spilling over with vengeful hatred – versus icy blue eyes – dull with a calm, cool nature. Neither wavered for a long time. Then, all at once, the Behemoth began to shrink. Its body grew smaller and smaller, muscles weakening, violet fur melting back into clothes and skin. The blonde mane began to shorten and darken, retreating back into Drakja's soaked ponytail. Front legs shortened to feeble arms as the muzzle shrunk back into humanoid features. Within moments, the angry red of the monster's irises had spurted to emerald, glowing green. Now, all that remained of the great beast was nothing more than a geonome lying atop a thunder-shaken roof . . .  
  
". . . What . . . Is your PROBLEM?!"  
  
Zidane cocked his head in surprise as Drakja heaved himself angrily into a crouched position. His eyes seemed disbelieving and demanding of an explanation.  
  
". . . What are you talking about . . .?" Zidane queried honestly.  
  
Drakja was breathing hard with rage. "Why didn't you ATTACK me?!"  
  
". . .What – ?"  
  
"I was COMPLETELY vulnerable! You had enough openings to kill me a thousand times over! But you just stood there like a blank-faced, vegetable-brained MORON! WHY?!!"  
  
Zidane stared at Drakja for several moments, glancing over the geonome's inquisitive, disappointed face. Then he smiled and gave the honest-to- goodness answer.  
  
"I don't attack a guy who's down . . ."  
  
Drakja's face softened and he seemed to give a phantom slump. For a moment there was only shock swirling in those angry eyes. Then it reverted back to burning – though still stunned – hatred. He rose to his feet and faced himself squarely at his enemy.  
  
"We're not done yet . . ." he muttered indifferently. Zidane hesitated, then smiled. He knew, though it seemed as faded as a white feather against a searing blue sky, that there was admiration shining in Drakja's eyes.  
  
And for that, it was worth it . . .  
  
However, what wasn't done yet was not what Zidane had expected . . .  
  
"Well?" Drakja queried, holding out his arms. "Do it. You have every right to,"  
  
Zidane raised a curious eyebrow, his tail flicking. "Do what?"  
  
"Argh!" Drakja pulled on his hair in frustration. "Kill me, damn it! I can't transform anymore, I no longer have the advantage, and I'm still completely vulnerable! You could stab me in the shoulder and probably kill me for the state I'm in!"  
  
Zidane smiled. "Yes, I know. You're still down. I'm not going to attack,"  
  
Drakja shook his head in disbelief. "You . . . are . . . an . . . idiot . . ."  
  
"Yes, but an honorable idiot,"  
  
Drakja sighed, but the weakness finally took its toll and he slumped to his knees like a great wind has pushed him over.  
  
". . . I can't believe it . . ." he whispered. "You're going to stand there, and when my full strength comes back you're going to expect me to fight . . . How can you ask that of me?"  
  
". . . I don't understand . . ."  
  
Drakja shook his head, the matted locks of hair dangling in front of his face. "How can you ask me to kill you after you have spared my life? You know I'll have the advantage once my powers have returned. You're just waiting to die . . . Yet how could I snuff out your life and live with that guilt after you've saved me?"  
  
Zidane's eyes narrowed. "It's never stopped you before . . ."  
  
A flash of pain and regret crossed Drakja's face, almost making Zidane start. But then it passed and Zidane saw immediately that the geonome's strength was returning. Already, Drakja's tail was slashing through the water in agitation.  
  
"You're right," Zidane said softly. "I SHOULD kill you now . . . You've murdered thousands, allowed one of my best friends to die, and I don't know what you did to Kuja, but I swear on my honor you will pay dearly for it someday . . ." Zidane lowered his head as if it suddenly weighed a thousand pounds. ". . . However . . . What you don't realize is that I have the advantage, not you. I am the Angel of Death; the Messenger of Chaos. If I were to Trance or tap into one of my genome powers – some of which Saishoja himself wielded before his genes were given to me – you would die. Painfully and fast. That thought never crossed your mind, did it?"  
  
Drakja gulped. Obviously, it had not.  
  
"Didn't you ever wonder?" Zidane queried softly. "How I defeated Kuja while he was in Trance?"  
  
"Y-you didn't . . .!" Drakja hissed. "Kuja killed himself! I know the whole story; how he cast a miscalculated Ultima attack and blew himself out of Memoria and to his death in the Iifa Tree!"  
  
Zidane smirked at Drakja's naivety. ". . . You're wrong . . . Think about it. Kuja would have to have been on the brink of his own demise to try something that insanely drastic while Necron watched on from above . . ."  
  
Drakja's eyes swirled with fear. What if, after all? What if Zidane DID become the Angel of Death? Drakja would surely perish . . .  
  
"So I'm going to make a deal with you," Zidane said softly. The blonde saw hope spring to life on Drakja's face. "I am NOT going to stop fighting you because, quite frankly, I finish what I start. Not to mention I hate your rotten, stinking guts. And I'm not going to let you go now, either. So instead, we're going to make this a fair, clean fight. Get up,"  
  
Drakja hesitated, then rose to his feet. He was completely back to normal.  
  
"Now," Zidane instructed. "That sword in your belt. Get rid of it,"  
  
"What?! Why should – ?!"  
  
Zidane slashed Drakja with a piercing glare and the geonome flinched back a step. "I am GIVING you another chance . . ." Zidane snarled dangerously. "DO NOT take advantage of that . . . Now get rid of your sword,"  
  
Drakja made a face, but obediently gripped the hilt of his polished weapon and withdrew it. He stared down at the blade for a moment and Zidane knew he was contemplating all the possible ways he could simply spring forward, taking his enemy by surprise, and kill Zidane on the spot. Of course, Drakja quite rapidly reached the conclusion that that was stupid, impossible, and probably a death-wish. With a sigh, the geonome flung the sword sideways, straight off the roof. Zidane waited for the sound of it clattering several stories below, then nodded.  
  
"Now the short-sword,"  
  
Drakja's eyes narrowed and he growled faintly. This time, however, he did not protest. With a look of pure death, the geonome reached into another sheathe of his belt and yanked out the smaller weapon. With a sigh, he threw that off the roof as well.  
  
"Are you happy now?" he queried bitterly. "You already broke my other sword," Drakja took a few steps to the right where the shattered fragments of his weapon lay and quickly flicked them off the side of the building along with the others. Zidane bit his lip and began to glance almost obnoxiously over Drakja's form. Then he made a disgusted face.  
  
"You have another sword hidden under the back of your cloak!" the first Angel of Death accused.  
  
"God, who the hell do you think you are?!" Drakja shrieked, reaching back under his trench-coat and withdrawing another well-cared-for blade.  
  
"I'm someone you DON'T want to cross and who is saving your sorry ass!" Zidane bit back. He and Drakja glared at each other for a moment before Drakja dropped the sword onto the slippery roof and kicked it ferociously off to the side. It spun, then toppled over the edge along with its defeated comrades. A rumble of thunder could be heard in the distance.  
  
"Ugh, don't even say it," Drakja snapped. He lifted both his arms slightly and reached back for his set of twin daggers. However, much to his surprise, Zidane shook his head.  
  
"No, no. Those stay. But THAT has GOT to go . . ."  
  
Drakja's green eyes suspiciously followed Zidane's commanding finger to the right side of his belt where the red gun lay cradled in a leather sheathe. He hissed immediately.  
  
"Nuh uh, no way . . . I threw away my swords for you, but the gun's not going anywhere,"  
  
"The gun goes," Zidane's voice lowered lethally. This time, however, Drakja was not backing down. He folded his arms across his chest and gave Zidane a challenging look. The genome's suspicions, however, were rising.  
  
/He's planning something with that gun . . . There's something about that weapon that we don't know . . ./  
  
"You have to," Zidane said simply. "Or I'll kill you,"  
  
"I'm not getting rid of my gun," Drakja shrugged nonchalantly. Zidane's eyes narrowed. He could still hear the words in the back of his head, like Kuja's dying breath tattooed in his mind.  
  
/It was the gun all along . . ./  
  
It had been a warning for sure. Kuja had known something about that weapon and had given away his last ounce of life to make sure Zidane was aware of it. Drakja was DEFINITELY up to something and Zidane wasn't going to let him get away with it!  
  
"If you think this is some sort of joke . . ." Zidane began.  
  
"No joke," Drakja snapped. "The gun stays,"  
  
Zidane smirked. "Then I get to use my Ultima Weapon and any Dyne Trance attack I want . . ."  
  
Drakja's face contorted. "Why you little . . .! Fine!" Drakja yanked the gun from his sheathe and held it firmly in his hands. Then he closed his eyes and the weapon shimmered. Then it was gone.  
  
"You see? I teleported it away. Problem solved,"  
  
"What's stopping you from teleporting it back?!" Zidane shouted. Drakja made a derisive noise.  
  
"I can only teleport something if I'm touching it!"  
  
Zidane was still suspicious and he did a quick sweep of the area with his eyes to make sure the gun wasn't nearby. He didn't see it . . . But when Zidane looked back, he specifically saw Drakja tuck something into his cloak . . . A canister of some kind. Zidane had seen it before, as Drakja stood over Kuja's lifeless body . . .  
  
"Hmm . . ."  
  
"Well, now what?" Drakja snapped. Zidane looked up in surprise, torn violently from his thoughts, and then nodded.  
  
"Oh, right. We're still fighting to the death . . . Okay. Here are the rules from now on. Neither of us can use ANY weapons but our daggers – "  
  
"That applies to you too!"  
  
Zidane rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah . . ." He quickly bent down and slid his Ultima Weapon off the roof. /Sure hope I can retrieve that later . . ./.  
  
"And . . ." Zidane continued. "You can't transform. There will be no dirty shots, like knocking someone across the head so that they're dazed and then stabbing them. Nothing like that. We are – or, at least, should be – civilized people. Understood?"  
  
"Understood,"  
  
"Good. Then let's get ready to rumble . . ."  
  
A flash of lightning tore the sky as if it were snickering down upon the two creations, each cradling a dagger glinting sharply in each hand. There was silence, and then they dove recklessly into their melee of death . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"This storm . . . It's getting worse," Steiner muttered, looking concernedly out the window as black rain splattered violently against it. He turned around and glanced back at Garnet cautiously. She sat hunched over on the Alexandrian throne, her eyes distant.  
  
"Your Majesty . . . Is something wrong?" the knight queried. Garnet started and looked up.  
  
"Ah, no, no . . . It's nothing you would be concerned about," /What if something happens to Kuja because of me . . .?/  
  
". . . I do not understand . . ."  
  
Garnet smiled softly at her loyal guardian and friend. ". . . I didn't think you would,"  
  
"Your Majesty, I am requesting immediate permission to round up the Alexandrian soldiers NOW!"  
  
General Beatrix, her hair wet and in disarray, came skidding into the throne-room. Her one eye was wide and panic was written all across her face. Garnet sat up in surprise, feeling a tingling sensation running up her spine.  
  
"Wh-why?"  
  
"There's a fight!" Beatrix choked out, trying to catch her breath. "A report was just sent from a local inn. The desk clerk and a family checking in saw and heard the whole thing. They're fighting on the roof!"  
  
Garnet hesitated. "A-alright. D-do whatever it takes . . ."  
  
"But Your Majesty," Beatrix raced forward and clenched Garnet's hands tightly as she collapsed down on one knee before the regal throne. "You don't understand . . .! It's Zidane! And from the reports it sounds like . . . It sounds like he's fighting Drakja! Alone!"  
  
Garnet gasped and leapt to her feet. Beatrix quickly stood up and backed away as the horror finally sunk into Garnet's delicately featured face.  
  
/. . . Zidane . . .!/  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Is that the best you've got, punk?!" Drakja taunted as he leapt away from one of Zidane's deadly blades.  
  
"Psh! You wish!" Zidane gave a violent swing and threw his dagger fiercely at Drakja's midriff. The geonome ducked and then rolled out of the way as Zidane sprung over his head and grabbed the weapon from mid-air. Already the fight was becoming more and more deadly. Every time one of the creations slashed, the blade came a little closer than the previous time. Tempers were rising at an alarmingly rapid rate.  
  
"Ha!" Zidane ran forward and cut a wide arc with his dagger. Drakja caught Zidane's arm and leapt backwards. Zidane stumbled forward from the sudden loss of a hold, then dropped to the roof as his nemesis aimed a well-placed kick at his head. Zidane felt the fabric of Drakja's pants brush his golden hair.  
  
/Close . . . Too close . . ./  
  
"Come on!" Drakja shouted. "You could kill me from sheer boredom!"  
  
"Shut . . . UP!!!" Zidane whipped around and lunged. His blade glinted and in the two seconds that he soared, Zidane realized the point was too close for Drakja to dodge it.  
  
/I got him!/  
  
"Ah – what?!" Zidane tripped on the slippery rain as his body hit a rush of air. He hit the roof hard and skidded. His dagger flew from his hand and clattered several feet away.  
  
/What the . . .?!/  
  
Zidane pulled himself up and looked around in confusion.  
  
/He . . . He's gone!/  
  
"STUPID!!!"  
  
Drakja materialized smack dab in Zidane's face like a flash of darkness. The blonde didn't even have a chance to cry out before a wet boot caught him under the chin and flung him backwards so hard that he felt his head snap back; twisted. Zidane's body fell limp against the roof where he lay there stunned, grinding his teeth with pain.  
  
"You . . . cheated . . ." the genome managed to gasp out as he attempted to retrieve his scattered breath. He could hear dull footsteps coming closer.  
  
Drakja smirked, his shadow looming over Zidane's shivering form. "All's fair,"  
  
"But you said – !"  
  
Drakja laughed. "Ah, but you don't have the strength to do anything dangerous to me now. I could finish you off in one . . . quick . . . stroke,"  
  
Zidane spat blood at the geonome's feet. "Bastard! Hyah!" His blade seemed to come from nowhere, having been hidden beneath his body. Drakja just barely managed to leap out of the way. What he didn't expect, however, was for Zidane to suddenly throw himself straight at his nemesis. The dagger plunged deep into Drakja's midriff, spurting his crimson blood. Drakja let out a cry of pain and his back hit the roof with a thud as Zidane pushed off and leapt over his head, dagger still in hand. The geonome gasped with pain.  
  
"You . . . mother . . . FUCKER!!!"  
  
Drakja scrambled to his feet and let out a fierce cry. A crack of lightning fizzled in the air, lighting the city of Alexandria. A commotion could be heard from below and the sound of unsheathing weapons. The two enemies, however, ignored it. All else was forgotten: pain, fear . . . family. All that mattered was the death of the other. To feel warm blood seeping over a hand cradling a crimson-bathed blade. Yes . . . That would be the only bliss. The high . . .  
  
The bloodlust was back . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"The brown-haired man!" Beatrix screamed at her soldiers. "Can you hit the brown-haired man?!"  
  
She stomped up and down the lines of warriors that encircled the unfortunate inn. Many of the women were wielding swords. Most, on the other hand, were aiming taut bows up at the roof where the battle drifted in and out of darkness like a candle just fighting to stay alive.  
  
At first the situation had seemed bad. Then it had seemed like a nightmare. Upon reaching the inn, the desk-clerk was immediately questioned. That was when they had learned the truth . . .  
  
Kuja was up there too . . .  
  
But they didn't see him fighting. It had dawned on Beatrix then that Kuja could be seriously hurt if not already dead. Only that could have driven Zidane to such madness as to challenge Drakja alone. And that alone could be the only reason Kuja hadn't already ripped Drakja's lungs out for endangering his brother . . .  
  
"General Beatrix!" one of the recruits – a captain – addressed. "The soldiers are ready, but what you ask is impossible! We cannot aim and ensure the life of the queen's fiancé at the same time!" She had to shout just to be heard over the din of the storm.  
  
Beatrix growled but knew – had known the entire time – the truth in this frightful statement.  
  
"Hold your posts!" the one-eyed general shrieked. "If I see even one arrow being lowered I will deal with the culprit PERSONALY! Is that understood?!" Murmurs of assent could be heard from up and down the rows of nervous female warriors. Steiner was shouting at the Pluto Knights, just trying to get them to string their bows right. Beatrix circled the entire perimeter of the inn, checking to see which of her soldiers were in the best positions to shoot.  
  
"An opening!" one of the captains cried as a flash of lightning revealed Drakja to be standing over Zidane's fallen body. Beatrix looked up and her face filled with fear.  
  
"HOLD YOUR FIRE!!!"  
  
And just in time, too. The three surprised Alexandrian soldiers who had been told to shoot were only able to shift their aim a split second before Zidane suddenly lunged himself at Drakja. The fighters vanished into darkness once more. The soldiers with the arrows had, in fact, released their weapons. The deadly arrows clattered against the side of the inn and fell into the gutters of the street.  
  
"Oh Shiva . . ." Beatrix let out a gasp of relief and nearly collapsed from the sudden drop in adrenaline. "Somebody up there has a serious crush on you, Zidane . . ."  
  
"Your orders, General?" came a timid yet stern voice at the woman's side. One of the captains stood looking inquisitively up at the general. Beatrix glanced past the young woman and to Steiner who stood several yards away with the water running in rivulets down his armor. The two nodded in mutual agreement.  
  
"There is nothing we can do. We will wait here and see what happens . . ."  
  
"I only pray to the gods Zidane can take care of himself . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Sir, I'm afraid you are going to have to go back home,"  
  
"But I've just come all the way from the Outer Continent on urgent matters!"  
  
"I'm sorry but there's a major fight going on nearby and all the troops are being utilized to stop it. I'm afraid the city's in a lock-down until then,"  
  
Mr. 41's lamp-like eyes widened in disbelief as the young guard blocked his way onto the gondola at Alexandria Castle. Vivi's children hovered miserably behind him, whimpering and complaining about cold and wet.  
  
"I . . . I don't think you understand . . ." Mr. 41 seemed to beg.  
  
"I don't think YOU understand . . ." the guard folded her arms across her chest and glared at the Black Mage from beneath her over-sized helmet. "One of the geonomes – the creatures that destroyed Esto Gaza, Dali, and parts of Alexandria – is fighting Queen Garnet's fiancé. The LEADER of the geonomes, in fact. The future of Alexandria is in jeopardy right now. So I think it would benefit you greatly if you would just – Wait! Where are you going?!"  
  
"Get those kids into the castle, they belong to Sir Vivi!" Mr. 41 shouted over his shoulder as he tore away from the moat. "I have to find Zidane!"  
  
"But – Oh DAMN it . . ." The guard slumped back against the gate-pole, pouting. She flinched when she felt someone poke her in the leg.  
  
"Huh? Oh . . . The kids. Right. I'd better go alert the queen and her companions, this might be important . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Zidane screamed as he felt the sleek metal of the blade cut through his arm. He stumbled sideways, falling into Drakja. The two collapsed onto the roof, Drakja shrieking as his wounds hit concrete.  
  
"B-bastard!" Zidane gasped, blood running down his chin. He thrust his dagger down like a knife, aiming for Drakja's head. The geonome rolled out from under him, knocking his enemy over, and grabbed Zidane's hair fiercely. Zidane cried out as Drakja yanked his head back while the two lay sprawled out on the roof. Zidane scrambled out of the way as a burst of thunder wrenched the sky. Drakja let out a snarl and dragged himself forward across the roof as if his legs were paralyzed. Zidane stood, trembling, and backed up. He fell and kicked Drakja in the face as he landed. The geonome shrieked and coughed up blood.  
  
Any normal creature would have been dead. Both Zidane and Drakja had been stabbed, kicked, slashed, and brutally beaten. Yet they persisted. Being creations of Garland, they were nearly unstoppable even against each other. Where any mortal would have died, they lived on. Suffered.  
  
"I'm gonna kill you! What the HELL did you do to my brother?!" Zidane sobbed, collapsing on top of Drakja and wrapping his fingers tightly around his enemy's throat. Drakja clawed at Zidane's face with one hand, his teeth bared. With his other hand he cut Zidane across the chest with a dagger, forcing Zidane to fall back. The blonde moaned, then lunged forward weakly. He shoved Drakja down and slashed his dagger through Drakja's stomach.  
  
"Ngh!"  
  
Then, all at once, Drakja thrust himself straight into Zidane, his twin blades glinting in the rain. Zidane growled and caught the daggers with his own . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"General Beatrix, they've locked daggers!" a captain informed the worried woman. Beatrix nodded.  
  
"I know, I know! Everyone, stand your ground and – who the hell are you?"  
  
The last thing General Beatrix or anyone had expected to see what standing right in front of her.  
  
"A Black Mage?" Steiner blinked stupidly.  
  
"Please, please! I must speak with Zidane!" the Black Mage seemed to have run from somewhere far away as he fought against several soldiers holding him back. Beatrix frowned, then moved forward.  
  
"What is the meaning of this?!" she snapped. The Black Mage looked up at her fearfully.  
  
"It's about Zidane's sister, Mikoto! She vanished weeks ago!"  
  
Beatrix's eye widened. ". . . Oh . . . my . . . god . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
They were weakening, the both of them. Zidane's arms were trembling violently as he held Drakja's daggers at bay. Yet he could see the agony twisting on Drakja's face as well.  
  
/I . . . I don't know how much longer I can hold this!/  
  
"Give up!" Drakja hissed.  
  
"Not before you do!"  
  
And then it was gone. The will to fight, the will to live, the will to die, the will to bleed, the will to even watch the enemy suffer.  
  
Gone . . .  
  
And they both collapsed. Zidane and Drakja simply collapsed. They lay half on top of each other, breathing hard, unable to move. Their daggers slipped from their hands as the rain pattered hard against their ruined bodies.  
  
How long they remained like that, seemingly dead, even the onlookers didn't know. As Beatrix and the soldiers began to fear the worst, Zidane and Drakja simply closed their eyes and lay atop the roof. Silence descended, broken only by the moaning of the thunder above.  
  
". . . We're idiots, aren't we?" Zidane whispered.  
  
"And how . . ."  
  
A faint chuckle escaped Zidane's lips. "We fought to kill one another . . . And never thought we might be killing ourselves . . ."  
  
Drakja nodded, too exhausted to speak.  
  
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" the blonde genome queried. Drakja grimaced.  
  
"A draw," he rasped.  
  
". . . Yes . . ."  
  
Drakja sighed and rose slowly to his feet. Zidane soon followed him. They stared at each other for a moment and a contract seemed to form between them. They were safe . . . For now . . .  
  
"We are equally matched, Angel of Death," Drakja whispered, perching himself up on the ledge of the roof and tucking his daggers back into his sheathe. "But when we meet again, that will not be the case . . ."  
  
Zidane glared at him tiredly with bloodshot eyes. "Indeed . . ."  
  
Drakja licked his bloody lips. "And know this . . . This fight isn't over,"  
  
"No, it isn't . . ."  
  
And then Drakja was gone. Just like that. And Zidane felt he'd lost something else with his departure . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"It's over!" Steiner gasped. "Beatrix, dear, it's over! Drakja, he's left!"  
  
"Oh, thank god . . ." Beatrix closed her eye. "Hurry, though! Zidane, he's injured! We've got to get up there NOW!" She turned to the squirming Black Mage nearby. "You too!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Zidane dropped to his knees with exhaustion. It felt like the very life was being drained out of him, washing away in the rain. Everything was hazy and numb. The genome ignored his agony, however, now bent on one thing . . .  
  
"Kuja . . ." Zidane seemed to plead as he dragged himself up beside his brother's unmoving body. "Kuja . . . Please . . ."  
  
There was nothing save the rumble of thunder. Zidane reached out slowly and touched his brother's arm. Cold . . . So cold . . . Everything was cold. Darkness seemed to overtake his vision.  
  
"Kuja . . . Wake up . . ." Zidane gently shook the warlock's shoulder. There was no response. "Please . . . Wake up . . ."  
  
It was like Kuja wasn't there. Zidane barely had the strength to acknowledge this strange revelation. It felt like Kuja was a million miles away. Like Zidane could reach out and touch Kuja's face yet never feel it.  
  
". . . Please . . ."  
  
"Zidane! Oh god, Zidane are you alright?!"  
  
It was everyone, the crew, Beatrix, Garnet, everyone . . . They all looked so scared as their hair frizzed with rain. The sploosh of water filled Zidane's ears thickly as they crowded in around him.  
  
"Fine . . ." he rasped. "I'm fine . . ."  
  
"Oh, Zidane you're hurt!" Garnet dropped down at her fiancé's side and hugged him gently. "We should go get Doctor Tot,"  
  
"Zidane . . . What happened to Kuja?" Beatrix was staring down at the warlock's body nervously.  
  
". . . He won't wake up . . ." Zidane muttered thickly.  
  
"Zidane, I have urgent news!" came an unfamiliar voice a few feet away.  
  
"Can it, moron! Not now!" That was definitely Amarant.  
  
Beatrix turned Kuja carefully onto his back, revealing his pale face. The others stared down at him with concern. He looked nothing more than asleep . . . Yet that pained look on his face . . .  
  
So much like death . . .  
  
"What is this . . .?" Eiko whimpered.  
  
"Kuja!" Beatrix called, shaking the warlock's shoulders. She might as well have shaken a corpse for all the good it did.  
  
". . . He will not wake . . ."  
  
The team whipped around at the familiar voice. It was her, the woman with the purple eyes. She stood on the stairs of the trap-door to the roof, her face somber.  
  
"Wh-why not?" Vivi queried cautiously. The woman lowered her head in apology and despair.  
  
". . . I have much explaining to do . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: LONGEST CHAPTER YET!!! TWENTY-TWO PAGES!!! WHEEE! So? How was it? Good? Bad? Worthy of cookies? Craptastic? Alright, seriously, how cool was Zidane in this chapter? I mean, he FINALLY did something! A lot of something! Dude, he was practically knocking Drakja senseless (take that!). I couldn't help, however, but notice a lack of other characters in this chapter. But that's alright 'cause EVERYONE'S gonna be in the next one. Hard to believe, though, isn't it? Mr. 41 actually made it to Alexandria . . . I'll bet you people thought that would NEVER happen . . . But here he is! And now Zidane's going to know about Mikoto. But what about Kuja?!?! What did evil, heartless BMD do to him?! Must . . . not . . . mention . . . name . . . of really smart . . . reviewer-person . . . But sadly enough, the next chapter is the last chapter before the "downward spiral." Everything (I mean, everything) is revealed in the next chapter EXCEPT for the details about Drakja and Saishoja. We don't find ANYTHING out about them until practically the last chapter. Then, once the heroes know what's going on, it's off to the final stages of Return of the Destroyed! Here's the progress update: Out of 172 scenes TOTAL in this story (that includes the epilogue) we just finished scene # 151. In other words, there's only *gasp* twenty more scenes left in this entire story! We're . . . We're almost home-free! But still . . . What horror can BMD wreak upon this unsuspecting cast within twenty scenes . . .? Bwahaha. So stay tuned! And Kuja-fans . . . Prepare to cry your eyes out next chapter; for more reasons than one . . . (Don't worry, I'll be cryin' right along with ya . . .).  
  
REEAAADDDD ANNDDD REEVVVIIIIEEEEEWWWWWW!!!!!!! 


	38. Truth Hurts

A/N: Well, this is it. This is THE chapter. Yes, that's right. This is the chapter where almost everything (I did say "almost," though) is revealed. This is the chapter where we find out what the Metsubo is, what those people are, what Garland is intending to do, where his base is located, how to stop him, and basically the mission (the last mission, actually) of this entire story. And ya know what's really crazy? Heehee . . . WE FIND OUT THE PURPLE-EYED WOMAN'S NAME!!! Woot! Celebrate! But I have an important note on that at the end, so make sure you read the second A/N. So read on, and try to grasp all the information slowly. Otherwise your head might explode (mine nearly did trying to make sure I didn't leave anything out . . . This chapter is COMPLICATED). So you have been warned, there's a lot of information packed into one little space here. If you don't understand something, tell me and I'll explain it in the next chapter's A/N (or the chapter itself, if need be).  
  
Disclaimer: I, Black Mage Dad, shall knock you all down! Or . . . not own Final Fantasy *gets killed by original Final Fantasy I Garland in cute 8- Bit form for stealing lame line*  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Cowards die many times before their deaths. The valiant never taste of death but once."  
  
– Julius Caesar, William Shakespeare (2.2.32-37)  
  
Zidane's eyes were shining with fears he couldn't quite express.  
  
". . . Kuja . . ." he rasped, kneeling down beside the bed where his brother lay upon a bed in the castle's infirmary, barely even alive. "Kuja . . . Gods, what did he do to you . . .?"  
  
The others weren't allowed in the room yet. Several soldiers had carried Kuja back into the castle after the rooftop battle. Zidane had been practically slung over Steiner's shoulder so that he could get medical treatment from Doctor Tot. Zidane had been in such bad shape that he hadn't even protested or felt a loss of dignity that Steiner was the one carrying him . . . Though his wounds still stabbed him repeatedly as if he were receiving the blows all over again, Zidane chose to ignore the pain and demanded to see his brother. Doctor Tot, who was now in charge of the warlock's care as well, was reluctant but decided perhaps it was for the best. Zidane had noticed something else in Tot's voice, however. Much sadness. Indeed, the doctor knew something about the whole mess that he wasn't willing to spill . . .  
  
"Kuja, I'm so sorry I didn't get there in time to keep . . . whatever this is . . . from happening . . ."  
  
Zidane reached out slowly and touched his brother's pale face. It was icy. Zidane closed his eyes and lay his forehead miserably against the side of the bed. So much had happened . . . So much fear and doubt . . . Only to lead him right back where he started.  
  
/Flash/  
  
"Zidane, I don't know how much more of this I can take . . . Why . . . Why didn't you just let me die at the Iifa Tree?! Why, damn it?!"  
  
/Flash/  
  
"No . . ." Zidane whispered, still keeping his eyes tightly shut. "You never wanted that . . . I know you didn't . . . You always acted like you wanted to live so BAD. And then when you found out you were going to die, you said you'd do anything to keep yourself from perishing . . . You would have even killed me; your own brother. But . . . But then you lived. I don't know how it happened, but the limit on your life . . . It never passed . . . And that was when you gave up. Now, when life was practically smacking you in the face, calling out to you after all those years, you decided you wanted to die!" Zidane punched his fist into the side of the bed, tears pouring unbidden down his cheeks. "What could have caused such a change in you?! It was like you lost the will to live . . . It didn't matter anymore. You wanted the easy way out . . . No, I refuse to believe that. You never wanted to die. And you still don't want to die . . ."  
  
"I know you don't . . ."  
  
Zidane opened his eyes slowly and gazed into his brother's face. Sure, it LOOKED like Kuja . . . But the presence . . . It was gone. No matter how hard he tried, the ex-thief couldn't explain it. As Kuja's brother (though by genetics he was something far closer than that) he had always been able to "feel" Kuja. Mikoto had said she had similar senses for her brothers as well. Zidane and Kuja always knew when the other was nearby or in distress. But now . . . There was nothing. It was like . . .  
  
Kuja wasn't even there anymore . . .  
  
". . . What happened to you . . .?"  
  
A soft knock echoed at the door. Zidane whipped his head over his shoulder as a voice asked, "May we come in?"  
  
"Y-yeah," Zidane faltered, surprised. Within moments, the rest of the crew was filing into the room. This time it was everyone: Garnet, Eiko, Steiner, Vivi, Amarant, Lani, Freya, Fratley, and Beatrix. Once they had entered and dispersed around the chamber, Zidane was able to see that the violet-eyed woman had come in as well, Megan trailing along aloofly behind her. Megan's face surprised the genome. She looked furious about something. And coming in even more frightened behind her was the Black Mage.  
  
The purple-eyed woman opened her mouth to speak but Zidane cut her off with an irritable wave of his hand. "Yes, you DO have a lot of explaining to do. And I demand answers NOW,"  
  
The mage smiled sadly. "As you wish . . ."  
  
"But first," Zidane rudely interrupted her once again. "I've got a bone to pick with you," The woman raised an eyebrow inquisitively as Zidane stood up and moved threateningly towards her. He looked angry.  
  
"Your cloak," he said, pointing at the mage's brown robes. "There's no blood,"  
  
"I . . . I do not understand . . ."  
  
"Neither do I!" Zidane snapped. The others watched on in silence, curiosity keeping them from interrupting this strange tirade. "But if I recall – and I've been meaning to ask you about this for awhile! – didn't Garland punch a fist straight – through – your – back?! I saw his hand come right out the front!"  
  
"Y-yes . . ."  
  
"Then how is it that there is no blood, no wound, or any sign of weakness?! How are you even ALIVE?!"  
  
"I . . ."  
  
Zidane seemed clearly to have snapped now with this new set of developments disrupting his crew's plans. "What the hell are you, then, woman?! You have no name, no origin, no motive for helping us! And now you have miracle healing powers as well?!"  
  
"STOP IT!" the purple-eyed woman suddenly thrust her fist, palm out, into Zidane's chest. The others gasped, their past experiences immediately setting them into attack mode. Yet in that awkward moment she simply stood there, this odd mistress, with her palm pressed against Zidane's shirt . . .  
  
And blood pouring like a cut faucet from her arm . . .  
  
Zidane's crystalline eyes widened in horror and he recoiled from her touch. He looked numbly down at his shirt, which was drenched and shining with crimson blood as the woman took a step back. She pulled up her sleeve to reveal where her wrists were slashed . . . fatally. A puddle was forming at her feet.  
  
"Sh-shit!" Zidane choked out, seemingly unable to grasp any words in the fear of the moment. "I-I'll get Doctor T – "  
  
"No," The purple-eyed woman halted him with a glare. "No, don't. Look,"  
  
And much to the astonishment of everyone within the room, the cuts sealed, the bleeding ceased, and the wounds vanished. Not even a scar. Just like that.  
  
"S-so you DO have healing powers!" Vivi gasped.  
  
"No!" the woman argued. "Look!"  
  
And then they all saw, much to their shock and distress, that the blood on the floor was gone. Zidane's shirt, as well, was spotless. It was as if nothing had ever happened.  
  
". . . What in the . . .?"  
  
"Don't you see?!" the mage cried. "It's not real! None of it! When Garland punched me, his fist went straight through me! I never even felt it! It's all an act; a drama! Don't you understand?!"  
  
Zidane stared at her arm as if it were disintegrating from her body. ". . . But why would you do that . . .?" he queried softly. The woman sighed heavily.  
  
"So that Garland would THINK he'd hurt me!"  
  
"But . . . But then why didn't you just escape?"  
  
". . . Because he would have caught me in other ways . . ."  
  
A ringing silence descended upon the room. Still, Zidane wasn't finished.  
  
"Then what are you, that you can do this? I-I've never seen anything like this in my life . . ."  
  
"I am . . . nothing I can tell you about . . ."  
  
Zidane lowered his gaze, then turned away. "Then we're done,"  
  
The woman didn't answer. She didn't have to. The blonde genome spoke up himself.  
  
"So tell me about my sister . . ."  
  
The Black Mage who stood in the back squirmed slightly. "Ah, I'm sorry for my lack of introduction, Sir . . . We've met. My name's Mr. 41 and I came from the Black Mage Village,"  
  
". . . So I figured . . ." Garnet shot Zidane a warning look, silently telling him to cut the sarcasm. The Black Mage blinked his bright yellow eyes, then continued. If they had been able to see his face they would have known he was blushing profusely.  
  
"Well . . . I don't know . . . One day Mikoto just . . . She just vanished! But, well, her and the other genomes are very curious people . . . They love to learn. I thought maybe she'd just left to continue on this 'quest for knowledge' she was always talking about. But . . . Well, Master Vivi's children were in her keeping at the time. And I know Mikoto would NEVER abandon them!"  
  
Vivi clutched his cloak in fear. "M-my kids?!"  
  
"Don't worry, don't worry," Beatrix waved an irritable hand. "A guard turned them over to me about an hour ago. They're in a guest room, you can see them later," she turned back to Mr. 41. "Please continue,"  
  
Mr. 41 cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Well, I knew I had to leave the village and get the news to Zidane immediately. I snagged Vivi's children and took off for Alexandria. But while traveling this continent – which is much too large in my opinion, by the way – we saw other mysterious things that I thought needed to be brought to your attention," The mage straightened his hat nervously, doing an unconscious and rather amusing imitation of Vivi. "For one thing, there is Mist and Mist Monsters EVERYWHERE . . . Not to mention strange dark crafts in the sky,"  
  
Fratley nodded thoughtfully. "That would be the Indomitable, for sure . . ."  
  
"Yes . . . It was scaring the children,"  
  
The purple-eyed woman made a light coughing sound so as to bring attention back to herself.  
  
"I'm afraid, among many other things, I do know the whereabouts of Zidane's sister,"  
  
Most of the people within the room stood up straighter at this comment. Zidane's eyes were wide.  
  
"Y-you do?!"  
  
"Yes, though you will not like what I tell you . . . Unfortunately, Mikoto was captive upon the Indomitable with me. She is alive, if that is what you are going to ask next. In fact, she is relatively unharmed for now. Our guard seemed to be on the verge of turning traitor on Garland at any moment,"  
  
Zidane ran a trembling hand through his hair. "Th-thank goodness . . ."  
  
"However," the purple-eyed woman cut in. "I'm afraid that may not last much longer. This," she swept an arm over Kuja's form. "Was the last fatal step in Garland's plan. With this done, the geonomes will bother you little until it is too late . . ."  
  
"But what IS this?" Eiko snapped, looking incredibly impatient.  
  
"Yeah!" Zidane snarled. "You mind telling me what the hell that ass did to my brother?!"  
  
The mage lowered her gaze slowly, looking pained. Then she smiled as though something about the situation struck her as ironic. "I . . . have been dreading this moment for quite some time now . . . The day that I had to explain this all to you. Please, I'm begging you to interrupt me as little as possible . . . This is a bit complicated and . . . And it may be difficult for you to accept what you are about to hear. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but . . . But you must know,"  
  
The others listened, captivated, as the mysterious woman began to tell the story. From the very beginning, they could tell it was not a happy one . . .  
  
"I guess you could say it begins and ends with Them," the purple-eyed mage glanced sympathetically at Kuja. "Perhaps at one time They were beneficial . . . But now They will be the end of all things,"  
  
"But what ARE They?" Steiner queried.  
  
The woman shook her head. "Please, please let me explain. This all starts back three years ago, almost to the day. Back to the time when most of you here were on Terra, attempting to save this world. Do you remember what Garland had been doing before that?"  
  
". . . Collecting souls . . ." whispered Freya.  
  
"Yes, many souls. He kept them all on the Invincible, waiting for the day he could deliver them to his genomes and recreate Terra's civilization once more. But I'm sure none here can forget what foiled those meticulous plans . . ."  
  
They thought hard. Then Garnet's eyes widened as she recalled what was probably one of the most horrifying, traumatic memories in her entire past.  
  
"Kuja took them!"  
  
The woman's unnaturally-colored eyes flashed. "Yes . . . And he absorbed them into his own soul – which was wretched and incapable of much power so close to death. Then Kuja used those souls to fuel his own. And it was your adoptive mother, Brahne, who gave him the strength he needed to . . ."  
  
"To Trance . . ." Zidane hissed. /I think I see where this is going . . ./  
  
The mage nodded. "Indeed. From those souls, Kuja achieved a quite frightening Trance. An unnatural one that eventually stole away his sanity and brought about his own demise. Those souls corrupted him; toyed with his mind. Though they were sworn to protect him now that they were a PART of him, they were still individuals . . . As they overthrew Garland, they then attempted betrayal of Kuja by destroying him,"  
  
"But what does that have to do with ANYTHING?!" Lani cried, impatient. "That was three YEARS ago! Those souls have long since fled along with the rest of them!"  
  
The woman closed her eyes, ignoring the young bounty hunter's shrill voice. "I want you, Zidane, to think back on something . . ."  
  
"Hmm?" the blonde raised an eyebrow.  
  
"The Iifa Tree incident . . . I know you never spoke to anyone about what happened there and other than Kuja, you are the only person that can remember what occurred,"  
  
Zidane looked pale. "Wh-what do you want to know?"  
  
"When Kuja was in the Iifa Tree, was he in Trance?"  
  
"N-no . . . I'm pretty sure the Trance vanished at impact. Like Lani said, the souls fled when he was inches from death,"  
  
". . . And how far would you say he fell . . .?"  
  
Zidane scratched his chin. "More than eighty stories at least, and . . ." His blue eyes suddenly widened with intense fear. The others, who had not yet figured it out, looked at him inquisitively. "And . . ." Zidane continued. "He didn't die!"  
  
"Hard to believe someone could fall eighty stories into an imploding tree and live to tell the tale . . ."  
  
"So what are you saying?" Steiner queried nervously. "That Kuja lived because those souls remained within him?"  
  
". . . Pretty much . . ."  
  
"But that doesn't make any sense!" Freya argued. "After falling such a height, the souls should have immediately dispersed from him and back into the Mist! It's a natural cycle! The souls would have done it themselves!"  
  
"You're not thinking!" the purple-eyed woman sighed. "Think about the previous events that had occurred! The Iifa Tree was dying! No Mist was flowing from it anymore! In fact, after the implosion of Memoria, there was seemingly no Mist left on any of the continents at all! Without Mist, souls these days just drift back into the normal cycle on their own rather than having the Mist carry them away. But the souls in Kuja were not his own and there was no Mist to actively transport them back. In affect, the souls were TRAPPED within him!"  
  
There was a brief pause as the group absorbed this knowledge. Then Zidane made a sour face.  
  
"So you're telling us Kuja was being controlled by the souls of those he and Garland had killed all those years ago?"  
  
"Yes,"  
  
"And that was why he seemed to Trance weakly whenever he was pissed, because those souls were what made him capable of Trance in the first place?"  
  
"Yes,"  
  
". . . Then how does Garland fit into all this? This seems to easy. There's got to be more to this than Kuja just having some leftover souls trapped within him,"  
  
"Haven't you figured it out yet?" the purple-eyed woman looked at Zidane, seemingly horrified.  
  
". . . Obviously not . . ."  
  
"Hmm," the woman stared down at the floor, obviously contemplating what to say. "Well . . . Garland wanted those souls back, as you could probably tell. But he took advantage of the situation at hand. Kuja, as you saw with the Trance, increases in strength when fueled on by other souls. His own soul is weak, the one thing keeping him from practically becoming Saishoja's reincarnation. But those souls were still people, after all. And they couldn't forget what Kuja had done to them. They tried to take over his body in order to escape Garland, whom they knew was coming after them,"  
  
Zidane's eyes widened as his mind involuntarily recovered the words They had spoken to him through Kuja.  
  
/Flash/  
  
"We will NOT go to him! You cannot make us!"  
  
"We oppose all who stand in Kuja's way . . . All replacements must be terminated . . ."  
  
"It's not what he DID to us! It's what he COULD make us do AGAIN!"  
  
"We've been under orders for FAR too long. Well, tell Garland he can keep his precious genomes dumb and his precious plans out of OUR – WAY!!!"  
  
"Ah, isn't it lovely? The destruction of Terra . . . And it was all Our fault . . ."  
  
"The freedom . . . The call of the Mist . . . The body becomes a vessel . . . which greets a new soul . . ."  
  
/Flash/  
  
". . . You've got to be kidding . . ." Zidane whispered. "All this time, those things were trying to escape Kuja . . . Yet they couldn't because WE stopped the Mist from flowing,"  
  
"Unfortunately . . . Yes,"  
  
Zidane rubbed his face irritably. "Then why was Garland blocking Kuja's powers? He seemed to WANT Kuja to Trance,"  
  
"Because," the purple-eyed mage explained. "If Garland stemmed Kuja's magic, the souls wouldn't lash out and escape suddenly when he needed them. But by having geonomes attack Kuja, they would get angry and make KUJA'S soul stronger,"  
  
"But why?!" Garnet had her hands over her mouth in disbelief.  
  
"Because then Kuja's soul would become stronger than Saishoja's," the woman smiled dryly. "Garland's hope was to make Kuja's soul AND the other souls as powerful as possible, then take them. Once he had them back, he would become even greater than Saishoja. Saishoja and Drakja were the only two Terrans to ever outmatch Garland. Then, Garland planned to go after Saishoja's spirit, which is currently lingering here on Gaia. Once he had that, he was going to assimilate the planets,"  
  
Zidane closed his eyes wearily. "So let me see if I understand . . . Garland wanted to make Kuja's soul stronger by strengthening the OTHER ones; those mysterious people. Then he wanted to take them and use the strength they gave him to capture Saishoja, which would . . ."  
  
". . . Make him the most powerful creature alive, yes,"  
  
"And then he was going to assimilate the planets? Sounds a bit random . . ."  
  
The mage looked thoughtful. "Then you do not know of the Theory of Planetary Magnetism, do you?"  
  
"No, since you never TOLD us about it . . ."  
  
"Zidane, shush!" Garnet hissed. The purple-eyed woman ignored the squabbling pair.  
  
"Well, as you know, souls are drawn to Mist. That is why, whenever Kuja transformed, Mist often followed. That is also the function of the Invincible. It uses a diluted, Mist-like substance to draw the souls into it voluntarily. Garland's plan was to absorb and capture all these souls, exposing them to the Mist. Then he rerouted some of the Mist to Terra so that the souls, together in such a large gathering, would be drawn to the Mist on that planet! The souls would then try to get to the Mist on Terra and the Mist on Terra would try to get to the souls here. The planets would literally move to accommodate them!"  
  
"And then they would assimilate!" Zidane gasped.  
  
"Yes! Exactly! That was how Garland did it the first time after Drakja and Saishoja's deaths! But there were too many souls left on the planets still in living bodies, and the civilizations perished from the horrendous chaos that this act did by throwing the cycles out of balance. So if Garland is the strongest creature alive, not only will Terra become drawn to him, but he will destroy all life on Gaia so that he won't have to worry who lives and who dies during the assimilation!"  
  
"But the geonomes – "  
  
"They will be spared. They are Terrans on Gaia and have been trained to withstand the change in balance,"  
  
". . . That's wicked . . ." Eiko whispered.  
  
"Unfortunately, it's the perfect plan," the woman nodded in return. "No matter what, Garland wins. He has nothing to lose now . . ." she glanced at Kuja, and her violet eyes flashed. Zidane felt his stomach drop into the floor.  
  
". . . Then what happened to my brother . . .?"  
  
A stiff silence fell over the room. Words were not necessary. The pieces of the puzzle were snapping together so loudly that they could practically hear one another's thoughts.  
  
"Oh Zidane, I'm so sorry . . ."  
  
Zidane swallowed painfully hard. "S-so . . . So what you're saying is Drakja took Kuja's soul?"  
  
". . . Yes . . . An incredibly powerful one at that. Kuja's soul had gained a satisfactory amount of strength. Garland has it now,"  
  
Zidane was shaking but he tried not to let the others see it. Garnet put a comforting hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Then . . . Then he'll just become like one of the genomes, right?" Zidane pulled off a trembling smile as if trying to reassure himself. "He'll just be an emotionless doll, right? L-like he was before . . ."  
  
The purple-eyed woman made a sniffling noise and turned away, holding her sleeve up over her nose. They realized she was crying. She looked back over at Zidane, and her eyes were like pools of molten lilacs as the tears ran in streaks down her face.  
  
"Zidane, oh gods, you don't know . . . I wish I wasn't the one who had to tell you this!"  
  
The others looked suspiciously wary of the mage's sudden outburst. Why was she so upset . . .?  
  
"Zidane, you must understand," the purple-eyed woman whispered. "Drakja, he had this weapon . . . It was called the Metsubo,"  
  
Zidane nodded nervously, remembering that Kuja had once asked him if he knew what the Metsubo was.  
  
"That red gun, right?"  
  
"Yes. That gun was given to Garland hundreds of years ago by a weapons- dealer named Triss. Triss hinted to Garland that the gun could be used on a larger scale. From that, Garland created the Invincible and the Indomitable. Do you see where I am going?"  
  
"Yeah," Zidane hissed. "The Metsubo is a tiny fucking soul-sucker,"  
  
"Well, sort of. You see, the Metsubo was made for POWERFUL souls. The Invincible can pick up ordinary spirits, but the Metsubo can capture souls even as powerful as Garland's. It can also . . . Take many powerful souls at one time,"  
  
". . . And . . .?"  
  
"Oh Zidane, don't you see?!" the purple-eyed woman sobbed. "Drakja took ALL the souls, not just Kuja's!"  
  
". . . So . . .?"  
  
The woman looked so sad it hurt. "Zidane . . . Didn't you ever wonder why Kuja lived? Why the cut-off on his life never came . . .?"  
  
"Y-yeah I wondered . . ."  
  
/Flash/  
  
"I can't help you, Kuja. Perhaps a year ago I could've but – "  
  
"Wh-what changed a year ago . . .?"  
  
". . . Because a year ago the limit on your life ended . . ."  
  
/Flash/  
  
The young woman clenched Zidane's icy hands, looking tearfully into his face. "Zidane . . ." she whispered, voice choked up. "Zidane, those souls . . . Were the only things keeping your brother alive . . .!"  
  
Zidane felt this knife drive into his heart; this painful, god-awful knife that burned and burned and hurt. Still, he didn't understand.  
  
"So what're you saying . . .? He's . . ."  
  
"Zidane, your brother is DEAD!" the woman cried, squeezing Zidane's hands so hard they went numb. "Don't you get it?! Without those souls he has a matter of hours! He will never revert to a normal genome because he will never wake up to become one! He will never wake up AGAIN! He's dying, Zidane! I'm so sorry! I am so, so sorry!"  
  
Zidane yanked his wrists away from the woman, shaking his head. "No . . ." he hissed furiously. "No . . . No!"  
  
"Oh, Zidane . . ." Garnet chewed her lip, unable to find the proper words to say. Her eyes were swelling with tears. The others stood on in silence as Zidane stared helplessly at Kuja's angelic form.  
  
"He . . ." Zidane's lip was trembling. "He's not dead . . . I promised . . ."  
  
Beatrix had a delicate hand over her mouth, breathing hard with disbelief. /I swore . . ./ she thought to herself. /I swore I would help him . . . Now that he had changed . . . But . . . I failed!/  
  
Zidane seemed to echo her inner thoughts aloud.  
  
"I . . . I wanted to save him . . . I SWORE I'd save him . . . But . . . But . . ."  
  
Zidane suddenly sagged to his knees, falling back against the wall. Garnet immediately rushed to his side, thinking he'd passed out. But what she saw was much, much worse than that . . .  
  
Zidane was crying. Not just sniffling or teary-eyed, as was expected of Zidane, but actual, physical sobbing. His head was in his hands as his shoulders shook, racked with the onslaught of tears that poured down his face. It seemed years of agony were running in rivulets down the ex- thief's cheeks as he gasped with the pain that choked his very heart. For Garnet, who had never seen Zidane cry, this was the worst pain of them all.  
  
The purple-eyed woman bowed her head in sadness as she watched the pitiful sight. Beatrix now had both hands over her mouth in distress, whimpering softly. Garnet was crying gently as she held Zidane.  
  
"Oh Zidane . . . This is all my fault . . ." she whispered. "I drove him out of the castle . . . This never would have happened if I hadn't been so rude . . ."  
  
The purple-eyed woman flinched. "Kuja . . . gave himself up," she said quietly. "It wasn't your fault, Your Majesty,"  
  
Beatrix's eye, red from tears, narrowed. "Wh-what do you mean . . .?"  
  
"What I mean is Kuja knew about this somewhat from the start. He understood at some point what was going on; that his demise was imminent. So he surrendered to Drakja, allowing his soul – and the others – to be taken,"  
  
"But . . . But why would he do that?!" Vivi seemed taken-aback as he shivered from the chaotic situation at hand.  
  
"Because he gave you all something very special," the mage said softly.  
  
". . . What . . .?"  
  
"He gave you all . . . Hope . . ."  
  
"I don't understand,"  
  
The woman closed her unnaturally colored eyes with a soft sigh. "Kuja . . . knew that this was inevitable. Fate had sealed this mess to happen and end from the start. Kuja figured out recently that no matter which way he turned, he WOULD die and the souls WOULD be taken by Garland. It was only a matter of when and how. So he gave you all a second chance,"  
  
Zidane didn't move from his position and didn't attempt to stem his tears. Still, the others were fairly sure he was listening.  
  
". . . Think of it this way. Kuja realized if he kept avoiding having the souls taken, eventually Drakja was going to kill him, most likely while all of you were together fighting Garland. Then Garland could just capture the souls from the Mist. But he knew if he surrendered and let Drakja take the souls while he was ALIVE, there would still be a chance,"  
  
Zidane raised his head slightly, breathing erratically. The woman continued, noticing this.  
  
"If you were to release the souls, Kuja's own soul would return to his body because the body still lives . . ."  
  
Zidane looked up at the mage blearily, his eyes wounded red. "Then . . . Then there's still a way to save him . . .?"  
  
"Zidane . . ." the purple-eyed woman hesitated. "You still don't seem to understand . . . Kuja's soul would return to him, yes. But . . . But the others wouldn't. They're not his. They would just drift back into the cycle. Which means . . ."  
  
"He would die anyways,"  
  
". . . Yes . . . But he would still have about a year left because his soul increased in strength so much from being molded with the others. And he could help you defeat Garland . . . Not to mention the release of the souls into the cycle and the ceasing of the Iifa Tree's activity would stop the assimilation,"  
  
Zidane stumbled to his feet, clutching onto the wall and making Garnet quickly rush to his aid. "Then tell me what I must do,"  
  
The purple-eyed woman frowned, eyes flashing. "Then you want this task? It is nigh impossible . . . And you have little chance of survival or success,"  
  
"All the better,"  
  
"You must all work together, then. Like before,"  
  
"We can do that!" Lani piped in.  
  
"Just tell us what we have to do," Fratley nodded.  
  
The mage rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Garland's base is located in the Fire Shrine on the Forgotten Continent. There, right now, he has hundreds of his geonomes stationed. The place is most likely guarded, and even Drakja currently resides there with his task complete. But Garland also has the souls located in the shrine, though by what means I know not. His prisoners are contained at the base as well; Mikoto for example. You must go there WITH Kuja's body and free those souls before Garland can take Mikoto's, the genome's, anybody's. You must also, then, figure out how to stop the Iifa Tree from making Mist,"  
  
"I will do whatever it takes," Zidane whispered.  
  
The purple-eyed woman sighed. "I figured as much. But you realize the dangers of this, don't you? You MUST take Kuja's body with you due to lack of time. He will slow you down greatly. And you are on a set number of hours. Every second that we stand here now, Kuja deteriorates a little more. It's terrible, but true . . . And you are outnumbered by more than fifteen to one. Not to mention Garland is thousands of times stronger than he was the last time you challenged him. And this time Kuja is not there to help you,"  
  
"I will do whatever it takes," Zidane repeated.  
  
"Then it is done," the woman nodded, smiling faintly. "You will have to leave shortly. Have you been to the Fire Shrine before?"  
  
"We have," Freya said, indicating herself and Amarant. "There were no traps and the Fire Guard was destroyed,"  
  
"Yours didn't have traps?" Eiko sulked. "Garnet's and mine threw giant water bombs at us,"  
  
Zidane nodded, still sniffing. "Quina and I, in his own words, nearly became pancakes when the floors tried to impale and crush us against the ceiling in the Earth Shrine,"  
  
"Then that is probably why Garland chose the Fire Shrine for his base," Steiner shrugged.  
  
The purple-eyed woman smirked as if sharing a private joke with herself. "Possibly . . ."  
  
"We're going to have to do a little planning, though," Beatrix informed the crew. "Just briefly to figure out how we're going to manage this," she turned to the mage beside her. "Will you be going with us . . .?"  
  
The violet-eyed woman flinched and gave an embarrassed smile. "I can't . . ." she muttered. "There is someone there – and it's not a geonome – who, er . . . doesn't like me very much,"  
  
Zidane cocked his head. "Who?" /The Fire Shrine was sealed for over six centuries before we opened it up again only three years ago . . . And there was nobody in there other than the Fire Guard. Who – and how – does she know anyone in the shrine?!/  
  
The woman didn't respond; just got a tight expression on her face. Zidane lowered his head, allowing his golden locks to fall in front of his tear- streaked eyes.  
  
"Then we are all going alone?"  
  
". . . I have faith in you . . . And if you bring Kuja back, he can help you,"  
  
The mage glanced sideways, then, at someone who had not spoken a word the entire time.  
  
"And you, Megan? Are you going to go with them?"  
  
"Not a chance," the Summoner hissed without hesitation. "I would never EVER go on a life-threatening mission to save a MURDERER," She folded her arms across her chest as if to say "and that is that."  
  
The mage lowered her lashes thoughtfully. "Alright then, if that is the way you see it . . . Everyone, leave. Go do your planning and get an airship ready. You have a day at the most to save the world," she laughed coldly at that statement.  
  
"Alright . . ." Garnet put an arm around Zidane's shoulder, resting her head beneath his chin sadly as she and the rest of the crew began to file out. Zidane cast one last look at Kuja over Garnet's head, shuddering, before they were nearly gone. Megan began to follow her companions when the purple-eyed woman called out her name.  
  
"No, you stay," she snapped. The other looked over their shoulders with curiosity. The mage narrowed her eyes. "I need to have a word with Megan . . . alone,"  
  
The team just shrugged, most of them deep in thought about how they were going to pull off this impossible feat. Megan stayed behind, looking frightened and very wary. Mr. 41 glanced at her sympathetically as he bumbled out of the room. But just before the door closed, Zidane – who was the last to leave – turned around with an inquisitive look on his face.  
  
"Just out of curiosity . . ." he said. ". . . What's your name?"  
  
The purple-eyed woman hesitated, looking up at Zidane slowly. Then she smiled a restrained, uneasy smile.  
  
"Demeter," she murmured softly. "My name is Demeter,"  
  
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A/N: Phew, I bet a lot of people are rather satisfied now. No more asking questions about most things, ne? It should make a bit more sense now. It explains a lot of stuff, if you think about it. I mean, you could go back to almost any chapter, read it, and realize now that the dialogue wasn't actually me smoking pot and writing completely random words 'cause they sound cool. I actually meant things by everything I said. In fact, I highly recommend grabbing a random chapter, scanning it, and then slapping yourself on the forehead for ever doubting me *fanged grin.* Now, here's a note on the purple-eyed woman's name (NEVER AGAIN AM I SAYING THOSE THREE WORDS, DAMNIT!!!). There was a REASON why I chose that name. It's not because it's a *gasp* really-cool-sounding-Greek-goddess-so-therefore-she- sounds-cool! But here's the bad news . . . We don't find out why I chose that name until, no, not the last chapter . . . The epilogue! The last SCENE of the epilogue *points and laughs at dying readers* Yes, the last thing we find out in this ENTIRE story, is what/who Demeter is. Then, those familiar with the Demeter's story will see why it fits, and those that aren't will get a lovely explanation by moi in the last A/N ever ('course, I'll be crying the whole damn time . . .). And just so you know, you could go look up Demeter's story on the internet and still not be able to guess why I chose the name. Then, when I finally explain it, you'll see that it is, in fact, the perfect name for this woman's story. Whoa, I am talking WAY too much. Well, I got this chapter up fast, so you can't sue ^_^ In the next chapter's A/N's I'll probably discuss this chapter a little better. But for right now it's probably best to let the information absorb into your heads before I go into explaining how the information fits into the previous, er . . . thirty-seven chapters of this story, lol.  
  
IMPORTANT NOTE!!!: Let me just say this now to avoid further hassles in the future: KUJA IS NOT OUT OF THIS STORY! IT'S ALRIGHT IF I GET A FEW REVIEWS SAYING "OH LORD, HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO KUJA *sob sob* ?!?!" BUT – KUJA – IS – NOT – GONE! I DIDN'T KILL HIM, RIGHT?!?! RIGHT?!?!?! IN FACT, HE STILL HAS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT SCENES LEFT IN THIS ENTIRE STORY ALL TO HIMSELF!!! Actually, about that, ehe . . . Kuja is still, in fact, a majorly important character (majorly is not a word . . . like using grossness as an adjective . . . But I still do both anyways ^_^). I've got some stuff planned out for him that is SERIOUSLY cool. So don't yell at me *cowers and hides* I didn't do nuffin' wrong . . . *cry* Hehe . . . this plot's gonna be grossness soon . . .  
  
¿¡RËÂD ÀÑD RÊVÍËW?! 


	39. Dolor Animus Pain Spirit

A/N: This is the longest chapter yet, coming in at almost twenty-two pages ^_^ And it was FREAKING HARD to write. I dunno why. I mean, this certainly isn't a filler chapter, but it kinda felt like one while writing it. But still, I think the message this chapter sends is really good. I mean, this is one of those chapters where you can pretty much say "it had to happen some time." Because ALL Kuja fics have a chapter like this one. It's like some kind of requirement or something. But whatever. 'cause, of course, I, Black Mage Dad (who is a girl . . .) would not settle to do something so ordinary. So this chapter is a little . . . different than the normal cliché. I actually took some old ideas about Kuja and changed them so that the perspective was different. I didn't change any of the actual things he ever did, but I changed some of his motives for doing them (which I can, because the game never reputed anything I wrote in here. Nya!). So just read on! I hope it's good. I had a difficult time getting through this chapter because I started writing it in an evil, angry, kill- kill mood. Then, somewhere after the dragon and before the Goumon scene in this chapter, I suddenly got really, really happy! And I still am *dances around the room.* The only problem was . . . I still had to keep writing the depressing crap I'd started. Made things . . . rather difficult. Ah well, I'll just pray it worked anyways!  
  
Disclaimer: I no own game! Quina only want yummy-yummies!  
  
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"Le roi est mort, vive le roi!"  
  
– Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi (The King is Dead, Long Live the King), Enigma  
  
Demeter stood with her back facing Megan. The door was closed. Now it was only her and the Summoner. Kuja didn't count. It wasn't really him . . . Megan clutched a fist near her chest.  
  
"Wh-what do you want?!"  
  
Demeter whipped around, piercing the Summoner with her lilac eyes. "Megan Yorokobi . . . How much you have changed in so short a time . . ."  
  
". . . What . . .?"  
  
"Why, I still remember when you fawned after Kuja like he was a product going out of stock! Now all you can do is hate him . . . Very interesting,"  
  
Megan squared her shoulders, standing tall. "Well in case you didn't know, DEMETER, I am descended of the Madain Sari tribe. They were MASS-MURDERED and SLAUGHTERED by Kuja when he was only FOURTEEN years old!!! My father died that day and bled slowly while handing me over to my mother and grandmother. I can still remember it . . . The warmth of his blood growing colder as it soaked through my clothes . . . And for what?! So that Kuja could run back like a happy little puppy to his master, awaiting praise, and then dea – "  
  
"– YOU KNOW NOTHING!!!"  
  
Demeter bared herself menacingly over Megan, her eyes flashing angrily. Megan backed up but still held her ground.  
  
"I think I know SOMETHING!" she shouted back, stomping forward, fists clenched. "How DARE you try to defend my father's BUTCHERER!!!"  
  
"HOW DARE YOU MAKE BIASED ACCUSATIONS!!!"  
  
"HOW DARE YOU DEFEND THAT . . . THAT ANIMAL!!!"  
  
Demeter narrowed her eyes and lashed out, grabbing Megan's sleeve. The young girl shrieked, memories of her imprisonment on the Indomitable resurfacing and drowning her with fear. However, Demeter was simply leading Megan away towards the opposite wall; her sleeve the leash. Megan struggled and protested the entire way.  
  
"W-wait! What are you doing?! Let go of me, damn it! LET GO!!!"  
  
"Shut up!" Demeter spun Megan around so that they were face to face. "Stop whining!"  
  
"Stop pulling on me!"  
  
The purple-eyed woman took a deep breath to calm her angry nerves. ". . . Fair enough . . ." Megan looked distinctly ruffled and she plucked at her sleeve indignantly.  
  
"Gods, what the hell was THAT for?!"  
  
"We're going somewhere," Demeter said simply. Megan blinked several times. That was probably the last answer she'd expected.  
  
"Wh-where . . .?"  
  
"There," Demeter pointed one steady finger at Kuja's form lying several yards away. Megan raised an eyebrow.  
  
". . . Have you flipped . . .?"  
  
"No, though I'm not surprised you asked. Megan, I want to show you something. I want to show you something that . . . few others will ever have the privilege or the curse to see,"  
  
"Which is . . .?"  
  
"I'm going to show you the real Kuja,"  
  
Megan snorted. "No need for that. He's right there, dead. Serves him right,"  
  
"No, no. I literally mean the real Kuja. You see . . ." Demeter sighed, running her fingers through her rich mahogany hair. "I have this . . . power . . . Many do possess it, but few are free to roam and use it. I can, and I do,"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Use it,"  
  
"Oh. And this power is . . .?"  
  
"I can enter people's souls,"  
  
"Uh, newsflash," Megan hissed sarcastically. "Kuja's soul is GONE! You said so yourself!"  
  
"Yes, but I can still go there. I want to take you with me. There, I can show you all his memories, his deepest darkest secrets, and even things HE doesn't remember,"  
  
"Ew, you're a sick pervert, you know that?"  
  
Demeter violently grabbed Megan's collar and lifted her up, causing Megan to cry out and squirm in protest.  
  
"Now you listen to me, you Summoner BRAT! I do NOT and will NEVER abuse my privilege to do this with people! What should stay private stays private! ALWAYS!!!"  
  
"Okay, okay! Geez, put me down!"  
  
Demeter lowered Megan slowly, the Summoner's glasses askew. The violet- eyed woman then sighed, rubbing her temples.  
  
"You must bear with me, Megan . . . I'm just a little irritable lately,"  
  
"If you don't mind my asking . . . uh, why?"  
  
Demeter hesitated then looked away. "I'm not here to tell you my life's story," she muttered under her breath. "But I just want you to know that the very balance of my OWN personal issues hangs on the fate of these people and Kuja . . . There is something that I . . . left behind. And I cannot return to it until the balance of the planets is restored,"  
  
". . . O . . . kay . . ."  
  
Demeter suddenly whirled around. "Enough talk," she grabbed Megan's arm, wrenching her forward. "We're going,"  
  
And all Megan could register was the strangest roaring in her ears before everything went black.  
  
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"Zidane, are you sure you're okay?" Garnet whispered, gently touching her fiancé's knee. Zidane closed his eyes wearily, leaning back against their bedroom windowsill. The heat of the outside world warmed the glass as the sun began to ascend over the horizon; radiating into Zidane's exhausted muscles.  
  
"I won't be okay until my brother's alive . . ."  
  
"But . . ."  
  
Zidane opened one crystalline eye angrily. "I don't want to hear it," he barked. "We all die eventually. Kuja's time is just . . . going to come a little early. That's all,"  
  
Garnet nodded, pulling her hand back. ". . . Yes, of course . . ." /Oh, Zidane, why do you lie to yourself? Don't you suffer enough already . . .?/  
  
"When do you think we're going to leave?" Garnet queried. Zidane shrugged, closing his eye again and settling back into the nook of the window.  
  
"Whenever Beatrix thinks we've 'strategized' enough,"  
  
"But we have so little time!"  
  
"I know, I know . . . Just let them do their thing. Beatrix has never lost a fight when someone she loves is involved,"  
  
Garnet chewed her lip. "This is all my fault . . ." she murmured, fighting back tears. "I accused Kuja of trying to destroy us all again. He was so angry. None of this would have happened if I'd just kept my damn tongue to myself!"  
  
Zidane sighed, tangled locks of blonde falling into his eyes. "It would have happened eventually . . . You can't blame yourself forever,"  
  
"Then can I at least blame myself once?"  
  
"No,"  
  
Garnet smiled shakily. "Zidane . . ."  
  
"Just chill, Dagger," the ex-thief snapped. "Everything's going to be okay. I just know it . . . We're going to release those souls, stop the assimilation, and when Kuja's back, he and I are gonna kick Garland's scrawny metal ass!"  
  
The queen stifled a giggle, knowing it was inappropriate in the present situation. Still, she couldn't help but grin.  
  
/Thank you, Zidane . . . You always know how to raise our spirits . . . Now we just need to raise yours . . ./  
  
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"Ngh . . . What in the . . .?"  
  
Megan opened her eyes blearily, feeling horribly nauseous, then yelped.  
  
"Wah! I've gone blind, I – oh." She replaced her glasses with a blush and sat up. It took a lot of effort. Her limbs felt like thick jello and her head was as heavy as a lead weight. It was not unlike the feeling one gets after standing on their head for several hours. "Oh . . . man . . ." Megan gagged, rubbing her face. "I feel wasted . . . Like that time I drank fourteen shots of vodka at that party and passed out in the chocobo pen and – WHERE THE HELL AM I?!!!"  
  
She looked up demandingly at Demeter, who stood by calmly overhead. Everywhere she looked . . . It was blue . . . Like this pulsating rhythm of light. As though the life of the planet beat in the blinding aqua sensation of the world. Towering trees, so metal in appearance – yet alive – graced the sky magnificently above their heads like shining monoliths. They glittered and shimmered, much like the rest of their ethereal world.  
  
"What . . . IS this place . . .?" Megan whispered, taking in the sheer colossal size of the empty sky above her. The world felt so dead . . . Yet it was so beautiful.  
  
"Where are we?" Demeter queried. "Why, we're on Terra,"  
  
"Terra? You don't mean – "  
  
"Yes," Demeter cast her violet eyes down at Megan. "We are on Kuja's world,"  
  
Megan let out a gasp of sheer horror and scrambled to her feet. She teetered, still a little dizzy, but used her anger to catch herself.  
  
"Whaddya MEAN, we're on Terra?!!"  
  
"We're on Terra," Demeter said simply.  
  
"Argh! No, that's not what /I/ mean! I mean, how the HELL are we going to get back?!"  
  
Demeter seemed to smile with amusement at the young Summoner's foolish spectacle. "Dear, we're not REALLY on Terra. This is more like . . . an alternative glimpse into the past. Like a replay of . . ."  
  
"Memories?" Megan queried, spinning around as she gazed in awe at the crystalline, syrupy substances dripping from the trees. They were suspended in frozen, magnificent animation; caught in mid-ooze. Even the stream nearby, which was so sparkly and full of wonder, was still. It was as if time ceased to exist on this corpse of a planet.  
  
". . . Sort of . . ." Demeter rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "But this isn't only Kuja's memories we're seeing. We've entered his soul, but the soul is made up of other people's thoughts and feelings as well. All souls are. They are interconnected creatures, able to enter one another. One person's soul can contain the same event written over from thousands of perspectives. That's why these memories are unbiased. Because we are seeing what all who were present saw from outside of them," Demeter took a deep breath.  
  
Megan blinked. "And . . . why are we doing this?"  
  
"I want to show you some things,"  
  
"But why?"  
  
Demeter didn't answer. She was looking at something far away. Megan followed her gaze into the cold, desolate world of Terra. Through the synthetic trees and lost souls she saw what seemed impossible on Terra: movement. A boy was walking beneath the canopy of metal foliage towards them. Megan frowned.  
  
/He's alone . . . This boy, whoever he is, is walking around in this empty place by himself . . ./.  
  
Once he came into clearer view and the shadows had ceased scattering his features, Megan let out a gasp of surprise.  
  
"No way!"  
  
But there was no denying it. The child, seemingly no more than three or four years in age, was beautiful. His eyes were gleaming blue like the rest of the planet and his hair was a shimmering cascade of silver. Though it was only a bit past his shoulders and the distinctive dragon feathers were missing, Megan knew those flawless features anywhere.  
  
". . . Kuja . . ."  
  
"Not Kuja," Demeter corrected. "Look," She pointed and Megan followed her finger to Kuja's face. Then she honed in on his eyes.  
  
Empty. They were empty. Not empty as in the milky blindness that Kuja had possessed of late, but true, blank eyes. Not an emotion or thought seemed to stir behind them. His face was expressionless.  
  
". . . What the heck . . .?!"  
  
"He's a genome," Demeter explained, watching as what appeared to be Kuja walked past them. The boy stopped for a moment as if testing something in the air, then continued on his way. Megan caught a glimpse of his silver tail trailing limply behind him. The women watched Kuja until he was out of sight and the pulsing blue light of Terra had swallowed him away. "He's a genome . . ." Demeter repeated tiredly. ". . . And thus, has no soul,"  
  
"But Kuja DOES have a soul! An EVIL soul!"  
  
"He didn't always have a soul," Demeter said tightly. "At one point he was like that, though only until around the age of four. He was an empty, soulless husk,"  
  
"And WHY did you show that to me?"  
  
"Come," Demeter grabbed Megan's arm and tugged. There was a sensation of falling through rushing, screaming waters, and then she toppled over.  
  
"Ow!" Megan fell face-first into the eerie, aqua grass of Terra. Embarrassed, she noticed Demeter standing steadily on her feet. The purple- eyed woman glanced down at her with a raised eyebrow as if to say "you really are the clumsiest girl on the face of this planet . . ."  
  
"Wh-where are we?" Megan queried, rising shakily and trying to hide her blush. Demeter blinked for a moment and then said,  
  
"The edge of a forest,"  
  
"Yes I can see that, but – "  
  
"Just watch,"  
  
Megan peered curiously into the shining, steel-like trees. Everything was so quiet. Unnaturally quiet, even for Terra. Like the forest was waiting for something . . . Then an earth-shattering scream broke through the silence and the forest seemed to erupt with pain. Megan stumbled a step in surprise as an enormous silver dragon, its head thrown back and its eyes bulging, hurtled into the air. It beat its wings furiously, shrieking so horribly that Megan had to cover her ears. She fell to her knees, cringing. Demeter didn't move.  
  
"God, what the hell?!" Megan cried. The dragon rolled over in the air as it rose above the forest. It seemed to be twisting and flailing in incomprehensible agony. When Megan saw what the cause of the dragon's cries came from, she nearly threw up.  
  
The dragon's left front leg was ripped completely off. Tattered sinew and bone stuck out from its severed flesh which was spraying blood across the forest floor. The dragon was flying as if trying to escape something, but it was weakening and dropping lethargically back to the earth.  
  
Megan covered her mouth in horror, feeling her stomach turn over. Blood . . . So much blood . . . She closed her eyes, feeling the bile rising in her throat. However, Demeter's voice broke through the pounding in her ears.  
  
"Look, fool!"  
  
Megan cracked open her glazed eyes and saw a familiar sight running from the forest. It was the boy from before . . . Kuja. But he was taller now, if only a few inches. And his hair was longer. But the biggest change was in the eyes. They were no longer gray and empty, but shining and full of life.  
  
/He has a soul, now . . ./ Megan acknowledged amidst the nausea. She saw, however, that the only emotion in Kuja's eyes was fear. Fear and the feeling that she herself had at that moment. The feeling that the contents of your stomach are about to be turned inside-out.  
  
Kuja was several yards away, blood splattered on his violet Terran clothing. Suddenly, a gruff hand seemed to come from nowhere and Megan gasped.  
  
"Garland!"  
  
The Terran overlord stepped out from behind a tree, yanking Kuja up by his collar. He shook the boy, shouting.  
  
"You let the dragon get away!"  
  
"I'm sorry, Master Garland!" the young Kuja sobbed, wriggling desperately to escape from his creator's iron grip. "B-but I can't fly!"  
  
"You CAN fly!" Garland hissed, giving Kuja another rough shaking. "And you will KILL that dragon! Do you hear me?!" With a snarl, he threw Kuja into the grass. The young boy dodged a kick and scrambled away. Megan watched, wide-eyed, as the silver dragon suddenly gave a great heave and collapsed to the ground with a thunderous crash. Garland smiled thinly.  
  
"There you go, boy. The dragon is down. Now . . . finish her off,"  
  
Kuja looked up at Garland fearfully, then at the dragon gasping on the ground several yards away. Its great feathered wings were twitching, its body trembling. The dragon glanced at Kuja with one glazed eye. Kuja bit his lip.  
  
"But Master Garland . . . it's dying. Why should I kill it . . .?"  
  
"You must be RUTHLESS, boy," Garland snapped, glaring down at his charge. "Show it no mercy. Be it on the verge of death, push her over the edge. If that were a Gaian now, could you kill it? Could you have ripped its leg off with your own bare hands?"  
  
Tears were pouring down Kuja's cheeks. Megan had never seen him cry. "No,"  
  
"Then you are not ready!" Garland smacked Kuja across the shoulders, sending him sprawling into the dirt. "You will kill that dragon NOW or I will kill YOU! DO YOU HEAR ME, BOY?!!"  
  
Kuja sniffled, nodding, and dragged himself onto his hands and knees. He crawled slowly up to the dragon, gazing, horrified, into its fading face. The dragon let out a small whine, blood dripping from its nostrils. Kuja came up to the great beast's side and sat there on his knees, staring at it.  
  
". . . Kill her . . ." Garland whispered, staring intently at Kuja. Megan could tell even from her distance so far away that Kuja's very life depended on what transpired at the forest's edge.  
  
"I can't," Kuja breathed, his eyes locked on the dragon's.  
  
"Kill her," Garland's voice was more forceful this time.  
  
"No,"  
  
"KILL HER, DAMN IT!"  
  
"NO!!!" Kuja leapt to his feet, sobbing hysterically. "It didn't do anything! This is POINTLESS!!!"  
  
"SHUT YOUR MOUTH YOU INSOLENT LITTLE RAT!!!" Garland stomped forward and kicked Kuja hard in the side. The young boy groaned, rolling over in the dirt. Garland stood over him menacingly.  
  
"You will kill that dragon now . . . Or you are going back to the Goumon,"  
  
Kuja's eyes widened with petrified fear. There was panic written all over his face. The kind of panic where you can't even breathe anymore. ". . . No . . .!"  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"I'll kill the dragon, Master Garland! I swear!" Kuja seemed to be pleading for his life.  
  
"What's the Goumon?" Megan whispered, glancing sideways at Demeter. Demeter didn't respond, but there was a similar, more suppressed horror in her violet eyes even after she had witnessed this event so many times before. Whatever the Goumon was, it was something unspeakable . . .  
  
Kuja stood, trembling. The sorcerer's eyes closed as he raised his small hands to cast a spell. The dragon stared back at him blearily. Somehow, Megan felt the monster didn't blame Kuja for her death. The steady flow of crimson blood from the creature's torn leg was lessening. A faint light formed in Kuja's hands. With deadly grace, he reached down and pressed his fingers against the dragon's shivering flesh. The monster roared in pain at the touch, seizing madly, and then lay still.  
  
Kuja had killed it . . .  
  
The light faded leaving Kuja standing there, stunned. Garland was grinning. Without so much as a word of praise he turned slowly and began to walk away. Kuja blinked.  
  
"S-so . . . I don't have to go to the Goumon . . .?"  
  
Garland stopped, his back facing the child. He chuckled. "Of course you do, fool. You defied my orders. Openly. And called your training for the destruction of Gaia 'pointless.'"  
  
"But you said – !"  
  
"Next time you will not question my orders then, will you?" Garland glanced over his shoulder mockingly. Kuja trembled, his eyes disbelieving, before he passed out with a sigh. Megan felt that familiar anger for Garland resurfacing.  
  
/He's nothing but a child . . .!/ she thought furiously to herself. /Gods only know how he treats his other genomes and Zidane!/  
  
Garland sneered and vanished. Kuja's small body vanished with him.  
  
Silence descended.  
  
"That's horrible!" Megan squeaked.  
  
"You haven't seen anything yet . . ." Demeter murmured.  
  
"Wh-what do you mean?"  
  
The mage glanced at Megan with heavy lids and a solemn expression on her face. "Do you want to know what the Goumon is?"  
  
"I don't know . . . do I?"  
  
Demeter smiled dryly. "No, but I'm going to show you anyways," She sighed. "Goumon is an old Terran word for 'torture.' But in Kuja's case . . ." she hesitated, looking sad. "Kuja spent about half of his non-genome childhood up to the age of twelve in the Goumon. About a total of two years. I have two reasons for why I'm going to show you this,"  
  
"Oh yeah? And what would those be Oh Great Queen of the Disgusting Visions?"  
  
Demeter ignored the rude comment. "One, because I want to show you what Kuja put up with as a child – "  
  
"Are you trying to get sympathy out of me?!" Megan snarled, rudely interrupting. "Because it's not working!"  
  
"Is it?" Demeter smirked knowingly and continued, not taking heed of the frustrated look on her charge's face. "And second, Garland is probably going to utilize something like the Goumon on Zidane and the others. It's an effective tool for bringing down an enemy and those who aren't used to it like Kuja typically die from it. I need you to see it first hand. You must warn them,"  
  
"Do it yourself!"  
  
". . . I can't . . . I'm leaving,"  
  
"Where are you going?!"  
  
Demeter said nothing and grabbed Megan's arm. The rushing sensation returned, blurring Megan's vision, and then they came back to a screeching halt. Megan didn't fall this time, and she hissed that haughtily to Demeter. Demeter rolled her eyes, but Megan didn't see it.  
  
Everything was dark.  
  
"Hn? What is this place?" Megan inquired, looking around into the empty black.  
  
". . . The Goumon Room . . ." Demeter hissed.  
  
"The torture room?"  
  
"Sort of. But . . . when you're in here . . . it's not really . . . Hurry, let me show you,"  
  
Demeter gripped Megan's sleeve and led the Summoner soundlessly across the room. She seemed to know her way around pretty good. Then, suddenly, they appeared within a large, technical chamber. It seemed to be some sort of lab, full of strange metal gadgets hanging in loose wires from the walls and high-polished black flooring. Steel tables of noxious liquids and blinking lights stared down at the pair from every which way. But it was too dark to specifically make out what anything was. The room looked more like a dim grayness with dark, shadowy objects drifting about.  
  
A soft moan alerted Megan's attention to the center of the lab. A steel table was fastened securely down and on top of it lay . . .  
  
"Oh, it's Kuja!"  
  
"Yes, in here for what occurred a few hours ago," Demeter said solemnly. "I'm just warning you, Megan; I know about your little phobias and . . . well, this may not be the sort of thing you want to see,"  
  
Megan smirked. "Are you kidding? Kuja suffering? I love it," She moved in closer, but – though she tried to hide it – Demeter caught the doubtful look in Megan's eye.  
  
The Summoner later regretted not heeding the mage's warning. What she saw there that day was a memory that haunted her forever. Even years later when it seemed the scars had healed, still the sight that befell her continued to grip her heart in sleepless nights.  
  
Kuja lay there upon the table, twitching and sobbing with pain. Megan stared, wide-eyed, as the young sorcerer cried out. He seemed to be in mortal agony, yet there were no wounds . . . no weapons . . . nothing to pain him in the least.  
  
"Demeter, what's wrong with him?!"  
  
There was a shuffle and the purple-eyed woman scooted in beside Megan. She didn't say anything for a moment.  
  
"This is the Goumon. It is . . . so horrible that it is a wonder he's not dead,"  
  
"But what is it . . .?"  
  
"Watch,"  
  
Kuja's eyes were open but glazed and dilated with pain. He gasped, gripping the table hard. He wasn't even shackled down, but agony kept him in his place. He shrieked, and blood dripped down his chin. He shivered, the pain so great that he didn't seem to know where he was anymore.  
  
"My god . . ." Megan whispered.  
  
Kuja seemed suddenly desperate to get out of the room. He rolled over slightly on the table, then hissed and curled in on himself. His tears stained the cold metal as the boy, no older than six or seven years old, rolled himself onto the floor. Megan backed up as the child hit the tile, not even acknowledging that he had fallen. Kuja's eyes rolled up in his head as the pain seemed to increase and he clutched his chest, half- dragging himself away from the women.  
  
He didn't get very far.  
  
Within a matter of moments, the searing convulsions overcame him. The young sorcerer collapsed lifelessly against the floor, coughing up handfuls of crimson blood. Then, much to Megan's horror, he succumbed and lay there, sobbing, crying, and moaning in anguish.  
  
"My god . . ." Megan repeated. She reeled and fell back. Demeter caught her, looking seriously at Kuja.  
  
"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I know that was not the sort of thing you should have seen. Hold on," She propped Megan up and waved a graceful arm. The scenery vanished into darkness leaving Megan and Demeter standing alone in an empty, inky void of nothingness.  
  
Megan couldn't stop shaking.  
  
"Wh-what the hell . . . What the hell was wrong with him?!"  
  
"The Goumon," Demeter began to explain. "It's a spell Garland can use. It's a horrible, horrible thing. Imagine this: Garland puts a spell upon a person's body so that their nerves will tell the brain it's in pain, even when it's not. Those under the Goumon will literally feel the most excruciating torture when nothing is there. It . . . sort of feels like having your insides scraped out with a rusty hook; except all over your body at one time. Most people die from it because the pain shuts down their organs. But Kuja was trained with it for years. He can take it for hours, as you saw back there. But he never learned how to defeat it. And because of that, if Garland uses it on Zidane and the others they will surely die. YOU have to warn them,"  
  
Megan nodded numbly. "Yes . . . Yes, of course . . ."  
  
"Now hurry," Demeter clutched the Summoner's sleeve once more. "I have much to show you!"  
  
The world was whizzing by. Years passed in a matter of seconds. Garbles of voices filled the empty void and then everything stilled once more. Megan looked around, realizing they hadn't left the room.  
  
"Huh? Demeter, what are you doing?"  
  
"I'm going to show you the answer to a question you have not yet asked but undoubtedly will: why was Zidane never treated with the Goumon?"  
  
Megan glanced around the room. It looked exactly the same. Then, suddenly, the door at the other end (which was blended so steel-like into the rest of the room that Megan hadn't known it was there) flew open and a slightly older Kuja tumbled in. Garland was standing behind him, breathing hard with rage.  
  
"And you'll stay in here until you can learn to manage him!"  
  
Kuja spat angrily, glaring up at Garland. "You can't hurt me!" he shouted back. "You think your little . . . mind games are gonna do me any damage?! You're all washed up!"  
  
The door slammed shut in his face. Megan didn't get a chance to ask what all that had meant because at the moment there was a flash and they were somewhere completely different . . . Demeter's eyes were closed and she was muttering to herself as if she was directing traffic. Seeing what the woman was up to, Megan tore her eyes away and sat back to watch the show.  
  
Now they were in a crude bedroom. Kuja was sitting at a desk, mapping something down with a ruler. Then he screamed, crumpled it into a ball and threw it violently at the door. Flash.  
  
Now Kuja was yelling at Garland. The words couldn't be made out, as if somehow the memory was missing pieces; fragmented. Then Garland struck Kuja, and Megan knew why . . . Flash.  
  
Now Kuja was at least eleven years old; beautiful. He was trying to cast a spell. It failed. He looked around, then cast one on himself. Flash.  
  
This next scene was very different. Demeter opened her eyes to watch and Megan took that as a sign that there was more than a few seconds of image here. The women were standing within an enormous, circular hall. A winding staircase drove up the middle and arched into the heavens before fading away to nothingness. Garland stood on the bottom-most steps, Kuja hovering a few feet away from him on the floor. They were glaring daggers at one another.  
  
"You can't do this!" Kuja shouted, clenching his fists at his sides.  
  
"I just did," said Garland curtly.  
  
"Then what was the point of everything?!" Kuja demanded. "You left me in . . . in torture-rooms for goodness' sake! And you trained and you trained and . . . AND YOU CHANGED ME!!!"  
  
He was crying now; heavy, painful tears.  
  
"It was for the benefit of Terra," Garland shrugged. "Your training will come in handy . . . when you bring war and chaos unto Gaia,"  
  
". . . You changed me . . ." Kuja repeated, his voice a faint whisper.  
  
"I did," Garland nodded. "I made you better. You were weak before; like those feathers in your hair. But now you are strong and you will be capable of bringing me souls,"  
  
"I won't,"  
  
"You will," Garland's eyes were gleaming maliciously. "Because I can still snuff you . . ."  
  
"You can't control me . . ."  
  
Kuja's words were cut short. Garland was holding out an arm, and Kuja was speechless. A spell. Then he cried out, thrown from his feet. He skidded backwards and lay upon the floor, sobbing.  
  
"You changed me . . ." he repeated over and over again. "You changed me . . ."  
  
Garland turned around and began to slowly ascend the stairs. Kuja's chanting followed him; creeping up the steps.  
  
"You changed me . . . You betrayed me . . . YOU REPLACED ME!!!"  
  
Garland did not respond . . .  
  
Flash.  
  
The Goumon room again. Only one thing was different: a cage – a small cage – at the far end. There was something even smaller in it. Something small and golden . . . With a tail.  
  
"Zidane!" Megan gasped.  
  
There was no doubt about it. The tuff of bronze hair, those seeking blue eyes . . . And that small golden tail, curled around the body of a creature no bigger than a Mu.  
  
"He's adorable!" Megan whispered excitedly. Demeter frowned.  
  
"Just watch," she instructed, serious as usual.  
  
The door at the end of the room (the weird blending-in one) creaked open cautiously. Megan watched with mounting curiosity as a silver-haired head poked into the chamber, looked around nervously, and then led a tip-toeing body inside.  
  
Kuja crept nervously into the room, pushing past steel tables and attempting not to knock into any noxious beakers or blinking machines. Then his eyes fell on Zidane, and a twisted, malicious smile spread across his features. Megan was taken-aback. She'd never seen that look on his face before. Even when she'd found out who he was, it was still so difficult to picture that expression on his pretty face. But there it was, plain as day. Now his previous words made sense. Garland HAD changed him. The soft, tender-hearted young boy of the images she'd seen before was gone. Now Kuja was cold. The aura of ice around him was almost stifling. He wasn't a genome anymore. He was the Kuja that Gaia had come to fear . . . The Angel of Death.  
  
At the tender age of twelve years old, Kuja was insane . . .  
  
Now Megan could see it; the message Demeter had been trying to send. Kuja had been warped since childhood. It was like this shield of anger had been built around him and changed his entire psyche. This was not the man Megan knew. This was a child who's very thoughts were simply figments of a disillusioned lifestyle.  
  
This was sick . . .  
  
"Oh, Zidane . . ." Kuja whispered, staring coldly at the cage. "Look where Garland has been keeping you . . . Why, he doesn't even treat his PRIZED possessions much better than Gaian dogs. No wonder I lost my purpose to you . . ."  
  
Zidane blinked up at Kuja slowly. "What're you talking about?" he queried in his innocent, four-year-old voice. It was sweet and melodic. This little imp couldn't hurt a fly.  
  
"You know, Zidane," Kuja's lips were twisting into a sneer. "As long as you're alive, I am dead. You don't want that, do you?"  
  
"Wh-why can't we live together?" Zidane clutched the bars with his tiny hands, looking confused.  
  
"Because, Zidane," Kuja's voice was soft and deadly. "You're stronger than I am. And Garland can't afford to have TWO of us around . . . I'm sure he'll settle for one. He just didn't specify WHICH one . . ."  
  
". . . Brother . . ." Zidane sounded worried now.  
  
"Zidane, hold still while I kill you . . ."  
  
Megan closed her eyes. She knew the outcome, obviously, but couldn't bear to watch.  
  
"Open your eyes!" Demeter snapped. Megan reluctantly obeyed. What she saw took her quite off guard.  
  
A ghost-like image was standing at the far side of the room as Kuja raised his arms to cast a spell. It vanished and reappeared beside the young sorcerer; a man with silky silver hair in a graceful, trailing braid, and blind, empty eyes . . . He looked oddly familiar. The man seemed to whisper something before evaporating. Megan sensed a strange presence . . . Like snow retreating into slush.  
  
Kuja's arms dropped limply to his sides, and he was staring at Zidane as if seeing his tiny frame for the first time.  
  
". . . I can't . . ." he sniffled, turning away. "You . . . you're my brother . . . And you . . ." Kuja suddenly whipped around, looking terrified. "I won't let you be ruined and changed like me! I'd . . . I'd rather send you off to Gaia than watch Garland have his way with you . . .!"  
  
Flash.  
  
"Brother, where are we going . . .?"  
  
"Shh!"  
  
They were in a forest now. It was raining and storming hard. But this was no forest of Terra . . .  
  
"We're on Gaia, now!" Megan gasped. Demeter nodded as the two of them walked briskly after the retreating forms of the young Kuja and Zidane.  
  
"Brother, I'm scared . . . This place is dark and creepy . . . Like Pandemonium,"  
  
"Don't be afraid, Zidane," Kuja suddenly stopped walking and let go of the little hand he'd been holding. "We're going to play a game, alright?"  
  
"A game?!" Zidane looked delighted at the prospect of the fun he never saw on Terra.  
  
"Yes, it's an old Gaian game. It's called: Hide-and-Seek,"  
  
"Ooh! How do you play?!"  
  
"Well . . ." Kuja was twisting his hair nervously as the rain splattered and beat against the two young children. It was so dark that only the lightning revealed the gnarled, groping branches of the trees. "I'm going to go hide somewhere in this forest and you have to find me, okay? All you have to do is count to ten, alright? Do you remember how to count to ten?"  
  
"Um . . . One . . . Two . . . Three . . . What comes after three?"  
  
There were tears shining in Kuja's sapphire eyes now, visible even against the rain.  
  
"Good enough," he whispered hoarsely. A crack of thunder lit the sky and Kuja quickly ushered Zidane towards a tree. "Okay now, Brother. Just turn towards that tree and count – as best you can – to ten. And no peeking, alright! Otherwise, you're cheating. And the new Terra doesn't have any room for cheaters!"  
  
"Okay!"  
  
Zidane turned eagerly away, hiding his face against the soggy trunk. Kuja stared at him, breathing hard. Then he whispered three choked words that only someone standing as close to him as Megan was could hear them:  
  
"I love you,"  
  
Then Kuja whipped around and ran. He ran and ran and ran. Zidane heard the squelching of his footsteps and raised his head.  
  
"Huh? K-Kuja . . .? W-wait! Where are you going?!"  
  
"Don't follow me!" Kuja sobbed, tearing through the underbrush. Tears were pouring down his cheeks. Zidane's tiny, pleading voice followed him into the shadows.  
  
"BROTHER!!!"  
  
Flash.  
  
Everything was moving quicker now. Megan didn't have a chance to ask questions or even acknowledge where they were. The scenes were coming faster and faster and faster . . .  
  
Kuja staring up at a sparkling, double-mooned Gaian sky. There were tears in his eyes again for the beautiful planet he would have to destroy.  
  
Kuja in a green, wispy field, leaning against a brilliant silver dragon. It nudged him with its nose and he laughed. The only joy he received in those fatal days on Gaia.  
  
He was an adult now, exactly the way Megan remembered him. Meeting Zidane for the first time beneath a rainy Burmecian sky. But the love was gone with the nagging loss of his only brother. Now there was only cold irony.  
  
Alexandria was alight with the gleaming wings of Alexander. Kuja was shouting something angrily down a street of panicked citizens who watched the spectacle in frightened awe. The great eye was open . . . Kuja didn't even feel the pain before the traitorous rays of destruction hit him.  
  
Back on Terra, Kuja stood above the form of Garland bent on one knee as though pleading for mercy. But Kuja was different now; barely even recognizable. Thick red feathers billowed in his hair, his body warped with muscle. A ringed tailed of black and crimson flicked the ground as his eyes – the color of blood – gleamed with incomprehensible rapture. Megan saw Garland fall, then. The fatal kick. The others were watching, even Zidane. Megan couldn't hear their words . . . everything was foggy. Kuja's eyes lost their luster as some unspoken words reached his ears from the world beyond. He was laughing hysterically. Zidane was kneeling on the ground, his eyes a mixture of worry and . . . pity?  
  
Flash.  
  
The great Crystal spun slowly. Kuja stared at it feverishly. He was waiting . . . Waiting for Them. Madness swirled in those dark red eyes. No time . . . No time . . . Destroy it now. Megan could hear the voices as if they were a part of her. Kuja was hungry. Hungry for death. Yes . . . Kill them all. Die as one of them. Die as if you were always one of them; accepted, loved.  
  
Zidane is there. Kuja doesn't recognize him anymore. He's lost all touch. The heroes are down. Kuja has nearly killed them. But then there is an explosion and he's falling . . . falling down . . . down to his merciless death.  
  
The red is gone on the surface; crimson has retreated to white . . . But it's still in there, lurking deep.  
  
Flash.  
  
Zidane is sitting beside Kuja. It's so dark that their forms are barely visible. Zidane's eyes are mourning for what hasn't yet occurred. Kuja is dying . . . The roots are coming . . . It's the end. Zidane embraces Kuja one last time . . . As his brother . . .  
  
Kuja was standing beside the moat of Alexandria Castle. Megan saw her own face looking down from one of the castle's windows, eyes widened with horror behind their glasses as Kuja sunk into a passionate kiss with another woman. But then the woman's face shifted, and Megan saw her own . . . The face in the window fled tearfully away just as Kuja, oblivious, swung the girl around and dragged her into a head-lock. The new Megan leapt away . . . becoming Lulian. She couldn't fool him.  
  
A city is burning. Towers like mountains are aflame.  
  
". . . No . . . You wouldn't . . .!" Megan stared up at the orange-streaked sky. Demeter was silent in her cruelty. People ran past them through the streets. A great beast – an Eidolon – roiled viciously overhead attempting to stop It . . . The great Eye.  
  
"No! Don't show me the destruction of Madain Sari!" Megan sobbed, backing away from the screaming citizens of the lost Summoner Village.  
  
". . . I have to . . ." Demeter whispered. "You need to see something . . ."  
  
As the citizens ran for their lives, a young boy walked slowly down the road. He allowed the people to brush past him while never actually touching their charred flesh. His hair was silver, his eyes were blue. He was only fourteen years old again . . . Kuja.  
  
Kuja didn't move as he saw a piece of rubble the size of an air-cab crash from the smoldering sky. It caught a man, crushing him at the midriff. Blood sprayed into the street, covering the young girl he'd been holding in his arms. His daughter.  
  
"Megan . . ." the man whispered, unable to move. His spine was snapped in two. "Megan, where are you?"  
  
The girl let out a horrified sob. The chunk of earth had missed her. "P- Papa . . .!"  
  
"Megan!" Two women were rushing as fast as they could to the scene. The younger one, fair and beautiful, let out a shriek of horror.  
  
"N-No!"  
  
"Martha . . ." the man closed his eyes, his life ebbing away onto the street. "Take her . . . Megan . . ." He shifted his arms slightly, allowing the other, older woman to take the child.  
  
". . . Meisei . . . Don't leave us . . .!"  
  
"Martha . . . protect her . . . with your life,"  
  
"I-I will," she was trembling with tears that didn't want to come.  
  
"And Mother . . . Make her happy . . ."  
  
"Of course, Meisei,"  
  
They didn't see the pair of blue eyes upon them of the silver-haired boy that stood on the side of the street. Blood splattered his clothes . . . the blood of the dead-man. He was crying.  
  
". . . Oh, Zidane . . . Garland has turned me into a monster . . ."  
  
He turned and fled.  
  
And then they were back to present day. Megan found herself standing and shaking in the infirmary of Alexandria castle once more, Demeter alongside her. The Summoner couldn't speak. Her voice had caught in her throat. She felt nauseous . . . angry. Angry at the world.  
  
Demeter closed her eyes wearily. ". . . Do I have to ask . . .?"  
  
"No," Megan whispered. "Tell Zidane and the others . . . That I will make Garland RUE the day he caused this suffering to innocent lives . . ."  
  
"And . . ."  
  
"Yes. Tell Zidane and the others . . . I'm coming too,"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: Wah, poor Kuja-san! *huggles Kuja* I so sad for him! So? Was this chapter any good? I was kinda worried about it. I'M ON SPRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING BREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAK!!!!!!!!!! So maybe I can crap out the next chapter faster, ne? This one took fo'-eva'. Technically, I SHOULD be working on my web-comic (for those who don't know, it's like an online manga where you post it a page at a time about once or twice a week on a designated schedule; sort of like a fanfic with artwork) over break. But whatever. I'm hoping by the next chapter I'll have a link to give you all. Of course, I will then proceed to get on my hands and knees and beg you all to become followers of my web-comic. I think you'll like it! I mean, I know none of you have EVER seen my artwork . . . But you know my writing/story style, and that's a good start. It IS an original story, but don't let that deter you. See, here's the cool thing. I wrote the plot of my web-comic (Untitled Levotica) when I was twelve years old, which was only a few months before I stared this fic (yes, I DID devise the plot of this fic when I was twelve . . . So sue me). But I never thought I was going to USE Untitled Levotica. So a lot of THAT plot melted into here. So if you become followers of Untitled Levotica, you will be some of the few who get the joy of seeing where half the characters of this fic came from! Particularly Ummei. The character that he developed from shows up some time in chapter one. Drakja's character is a mix of two characters that will be in this comic, one of which shows up in the chapter-cover on the second page. Oh, and Lulian's character (who shows up early but doesn't have a part for awhile) is SO obvious it's almost disturbing. And here's the wonderful, beautiful news I have. If all goes well with my web- comic, I'm going to make an on-the-side web-site where I'm going to post fanart, which WILL include Final Fantasy. Y'all wanna see how I draw Kuja? Then you'll just hafta stop by an' see my web-comic when I get it up (I'm having technical difficulties right now). Okay? Is that a deal . . .? *sniffle*  
  
ERDA NAD ERIVWE. OMG, how cool is that? I scrambled the words, and it made new words . . . Oh, I am in a good mood today! 


	40. A Call to Arms

A/N: Grr . . . This chapter's way too short. But that's 'cause it's sort of like a bridge between scenes. The next chapter's probably going to be EXTREMELY long and it introduces a new character/concept. It's not a big deal sort of thing, but it's going to take a lengthy amount of text to do it. I need to hurry up with this fic a little more since I've got my web- comic; but I assure you finishing this story comes first. After all, though the idea for it was not, this fanfic was here before the web-comic. So it gets first-rights ^_^ Besides, you guys would probably kill me. I have some info on the web-comic at the bottom (and it ain't good news yet *sigh*).  
  
Disclaimer: I cannot own Final Fantasy IX, so I must make those who DO become intimately familiar with stabbity-death. Or an armoire-y prison . . . Heh. I've been readin' too much 8-Bit Theater . . . Heehee, sword- chucks, yo!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
". . . So I granted him sleep eternal."  
  
– Seymour Guado, Final Fantasy X  
  
"This isn't going to work!" Beatrix stormed, clenching a fist and glaring out the window and into the setting sun. Gaia's survival was setting right alongside it. "We don't have enough TIME!"  
  
"Or people," Steiner nodded, sitting calmly at a large, stone table.  
  
"Or power," Beatrix added.  
  
"Or enough of a chance of returning home alive,"  
  
"Okay, you can shut up now," Beatrix grumbled. Steiner did so, smiling meekly.  
  
Freya and Fratley were present in the room as well, both having experience in the military. It was Freya who spoke next.  
  
"The problem is," she said. "If we all leave for the Fire Shrine now, we're also leaving our cities incredibly vulnerable. With us gone and no leaders to order the defense of Alexandria – or even Burmecia or the Black Mage Village for that matter – Garland could take it as an opportunity to strike and wipe them all out,"  
  
"So what do you propose we do?!" Beatrix rounded on the Burmecian.  
  
"Well, we could – "  
  
"General Beatrix, I have an urgent report!" A guard stood in the doorway, one hand stiff near her forehead in salute, the other clutching a crisp, important-looking letter.  
  
"Hmm? What is it?"  
  
"Here," the guard handed the general the envelope which she promptly tore open. As she read, her one eye widened with surprise. Then a grin began to spread across her face.  
  
"Guys . . . I think we just might have an answer to our problems . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Are you sure you want to go?" Zidane was eyeing Megan suspiciously. The Summoner stood in the doorway to Zidane and Garnet's bedroom, her head bowed in mysterious shame.  
  
"Positive,"  
  
"Why the sudden change of heart?" Garnet queried. Megan shifted uncomfortably.  
  
"Does it matter?" There was an unmistakable edge to her tone.  
  
Garnet smiled hesitantly. "I guess not . . ."  
  
Zidane still looked suspicious. "If you go with us, saving Kuja is going to be a part of your journey. Is that what you want?"  
  
Megan's eyes flashed. ". . . I want to see Garland suffer . . ." was all she said.  
  
"'scuse me, Megan," a strong arm brushed the Summoner aside as Beatrix stepped into the room.  
  
"Eh? Beatrix, are you guys done?" Zidane looked up hopefully.  
  
"Even better," Beatrix grinned. "Zidane, read this," She handed him the envelope. Zidane took the letter, frowning, and read aloud:  
  
"This is an official treaty of aid to the royal family of Alexandria. It has come to our attention that the queen and her future husband will be heading out with important members of various cities to spare Gaia from an imminent doom. Alexandria sought the aid of several Gaian nations about a week ago, calling in a meeting of spokespersons and leaders. As the newly appointed Congressional of Gaia, we request that Alexandria not only join us in the ranks of unity, but that they allow us in this time of need to fulfill our oaths and promises and come to the royal family in this urgent situation. If you would allow it, the following cities will post selected soldiers within Alexandria's territory along with high ranking recruits. If you would join our ranks and aid us in this peril as well, Gaia will unite under the congressional to destroy these evil times – Jesus," Zidane whispered. "There's a page long list of nations, cities, and towns and a list of the weapons they're arming themselves with!"  
  
"So what does that mean?" Megan inquired.  
  
"What does that mean?" Beatrix echoed gleefully. "It means we just received an entire planet's worth of backup . . . And we can safely head to the Fire Shrine,"  
  
"And when are we going to do that?" Zidane raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Now!" Beatrix laughed. "Gather everyone! We leave in an hour!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Everyone was preparing and gathering their weapons. The mages on the team were packing ethers, the fighters polishing swords. Zidane didn't feel like doing any of that.  
  
/I don't need my weapons to be polished . . ./ he thought bitterly. /They just need to be sharp, so I can cut Garland into little tiny sirloin steaks . . ./.  
  
So while the others worked, Zidane dozed by the warm window. He didn't even realize he was drifting into sleep until the nightmare began . . .  
  
/Flash/  
  
". . . Zidane . . ."  
  
". . . What . . .?"  
  
". . . You didn't make it to me in time,"  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
The darkness dissipated and Zidane squinted into the void. There was someone standing there. Someone rather small and delicate with . . . a tail.  
  
"Oh my god . . ." Zidane whispered in awe. "Mikoto, is that you . . .?!"  
  
The young genome's eyes were big and sad. "You betrayed me . . ." she whimpered softly. "Like you betrayed our brother . . ."  
  
"What?! No! No, I never betrayed anyone! I'm going to save you both!"  
  
"They're all here . . ." Mikoto whispered sadly. "The genomes . . . They're all dead . . . You're dead . . ."  
  
"No! I won't let that happen!" Zidane rushed forward to grasp Mikoto's arms. He slipped and fell through her ghostly form before tumbling into the darkness . . . Falling . . . Falling . . . Until he was one of them: forgotten and alone . . . Betrayed.  
  
"Ahhh!" Zidane sat up in horror, sliding off the windowsill and onto the floor with a thud. "God, mother fu – "  
  
"Zidane, you alright?" Garnet opened the door a crack, smirking slightly.  
  
"Fine, fine . . . Are you guys ready to leave?"  
  
"I think so. But, um . . . You still have two more things to do,"  
  
"Oh, is that so?" Zidane stood up haughtily, folding his arms across his chest. "What's the first one?"  
  
Garnet grinned, stepping into the room. "Kiss me,"  
  
The genome chuckled. "That I can do, Your Majesty," he bent forward slightly and planted a small kiss next to the young queen's mouth.  
  
"Oh, you can do better than that!" Garnet complained.  
  
"True. C'mere," Zidane suddenly hoisted Garnet up into his arms and the two sunk into a passionate, butter-hot kiss. When they were through and Zidane had put his fiancé down, Garnet's typically perfect hair was slightly more unkempt and she was blushing profusely. She giggled as Zidane beamed at his bride-to-be.  
  
"Better?"  
  
"Better," Garnet smiled.  
  
"And what's the second thing?" Zidane inquired. He knew this one was something serious. Garnet's smile faded and she sighed heavily.  
  
". . . Don't you know . . .?"  
  
"Not really,"  
  
Another sigh. "Remember what Demeter said? We have to take Kuja with us. And I know you're not going to let anyone else carry him. So . . ."  
  
"I've got to go retrieve his body?"  
  
"Pretty much, yeah,"  
  
Zidane's face darkened. "Fine . . . But . . . Don't come with me, okay? I just want to share some . . . some thoughts with him . . ."  
  
Garnet lowered her lashes, thoughts swirling in those chocolate-brown eyes, mingling with sadness. "Okay, Zidane . . . But please try to hurry,"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Fratley, standing calmly in one of the sun-baked roads, raised the brim of his hat and peered into the orange orb of the sun rising above Alexandria. The sky was painted in shimmering yellows and pinks, the morning fresh and crisp with the scent of renewal. The sun's warm rays were already reflecting off the castle's crystal, shooting mystical rainbow patterns of light across the buildings that would not be there in another hour.  
  
"My, how beautiful Alexandria is in the morning . . ." he thought aloud. "Quite a change from the perpetual rain of Burmecia,"  
  
"Fratley, what are you doing out here?" Freya suddenly emerged from a weapon's shop, her spear gleaming unusually bright. "I thought you were with the others,"  
  
"I was, Freya, dear," Fratley responded heavily. "But I just wanted some sunshine. Go on back to the castle; I'll be there in a few minutes . . ."  
  
Freya reluctantly turned to go, still watching Fratley out of the corner of her eye. When she was out of sight, Fratley growled.  
  
"Who's there?! Come out!" he whipped around, his lips pulled into a snarl as he glared into the shadows of an empty alleyway. Silence. Fratley slid his claws down the side of his spear, holding it out in preparation.  
  
"I know you're in there . . ." he hissed menacingly.  
  
"Very perceptive," came a voice from behind. Fratley whirled around but there was no one there.  
  
"Burmecians do have amazing noses, don't they?" Fratley spun in the opposite direction towards the new voice but still found no face to match it with.  
  
"Show yourselves, you cowards!" Fratley shouted.  
  
There was a sudden flash of color before something vanished in the Burmecian's face.  
  
"Just did," someone giggled. "Satisfied?"  
  
/Oh . . . no . . ./ Realization began to dawn on the Burmecian rat. /Geonomes . . . What are they still doing here?!/  
  
"If Garland sent you to kill us – "  
  
"Oh no, we don't want to KILL any of you . . ." Fratley felt the breath on the back of his neck but didn't move. "After all . . . You're powerful people and your souls can only be taken while you're alive . . . by the Metsubo . . ."  
  
"Then what do you want . . .?" Fratley's tail thrashed the ground with agitation.  
  
"Answers,"  
  
Then Fratley felt an explosion of pain. It seemed to fill his entire body, burning him from the inside out. He struggled, but the agony overtook him . . . He fell limply into the awaiting arms of his aggressors . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Zidane couldn't take his eyes off Kuja's pale face. It was so ghostly . . . Like he was made of tissue paper. Every second that he stood there brought Kuja closer to the brink of death.  
  
"But at least it's just you . . ." Zidane whispered, kneeling down beside the bed. "Your body is no longer corrupted by those souls . . ."  
  
The room was so quiet . . . Zidane couldn't even hear his brother's breath, which made sense since Kuja was barely breathing. Zidane laughed softly.  
  
"When we destroy Garland . . . We're gonna throw a HUGE party . . ." The genome smiled shakily, his lip trembling. "And I'm probably going to eat so much South Gate Bundt Cake that I'm gonna throw up EVERYWHERE. And you . . . Psh, you'll probably down six glasses of champagne and then get yourself laid somewhere out on the street," Zidane glanced up at Kuja's lifeless form and gently took his hand. It was even colder than before.  
  
"Kuja . . . You . . . You always pulled out of these things," said Zidane. "When you were just a kid, Garland hurt you. But you lived. I thought I'd lost you in the Iifa Tree, but you saved my life. You've saved me lots of times. You stopped Drakja during that first attack in Alexandria, and you forced him away in that bar . . . You even took a god damn bullet for me on the Forgotten Continent. And you were so sick . . . You even lost what was most dear to you then . . . Your eyesight. You gave up the ability to see the beauty in the world for me. And then STILL you came back to save us. It's my turn now. I'm going to save you. And, hell, maybe you'll live in the castle with us. And we'll be just like brothers again; laughing, talking, throwing muffins at Steiner . . . At least, for another year. Before the limit . . . catches up to you . . . Again," That did it. Zidane dissolved into tears against the bed, burying his face in his arms and sobbing pitifully like he was four years old again.  
  
There was a knock at the door. Zidane hurriedly brushed his tears away and tried to make a straight face.  
  
"Yeah?!"  
  
"Zidane, it's Garnet!" came a desperate voice from the other side. "I . . . I think we might have a problem!"  
  
Zidane's brow furrowed in confusion and he quickly scrambled up and opened the door. Garnet was standing there looking frightened.  
  
"Zidane, it's Fratley! He – he went outside for awhile and . . . Zidane, he hasn't come back yet and they searched the entire city! It's like he's gone!"  
  
"Dagger, Dagger, whoa!" Zidane grasped Garnet's shoulders to quiet the frantic queen. "Slow down! I mean, Fratley could be ANYWHERE!"  
  
"No! It's not that!" Garnet sobbed. "They found a pool of blood in the street where Freya reported seeing Fratley! Zidane . . . Zidane, I think Garland has him!"  
  
"Well, shit," Zidane blinked, staring down at his fiancé at a loss for words. Garnet desperately clutched Zidane around the waist, burying her face into his chest. She couldn't seem to stop crying.  
  
"Zidane, we're going to die, I know it!" She gripped his shirt as if trying to hold onto him for dear life. "We're so outnumbered! The geonomes are just going to slaughter us and then the planets will assimilate and everyone on Gaia's going to DIE!"  
  
"Not if I can help it," Zidane crooned softly, gently running his fingers through Garnet's hair. "You know I would never let that happen . . ."  
  
"But what if you can't STOP it from happening?!" Garnet looked up at Zidane hysterically, streaks of black makeup running down her face. "Zidane, I don't want to die!"  
  
"Now you listen to me!" Zidane grasped Garnet's arms and stared down at her fiercely. "You are NOT going to die. Not while there's a breath in my body! So you just calm down, okay? We're going to go to the Fire Shrine with Kuja, and we're going to save Gaia, just like last time, alright?"  
  
"Zidane . . ."  
  
"Alright?!"  
  
"A-alright,"  
  
Beatrix stormed into the room, looking furious. "C'mon, let's go!" she shouted. "If they really did take Fratley, then he's going to be at our destination anyways!"  
  
"True, true," Zidane sighed, releasing Garnet gently. He glanced over at Kuja and felt a knot forming in his stomach. ". . . I'm going to carry him, huh . . .?"  
  
"Unless you'd rather someone else do it," Beatrix's face softened to see Zidane looking so miserable. "Here, I'll help you carry him to the ship. We can lay him down in there . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Are they coming or not?!"  
  
"I don't know!"  
  
"How many Summoners are gonna be with them?!"  
  
"Why does it matter?!"  
  
"You sniveling little RAT! They revived Kuja, didn't they?! Huh?! HUH?!!"  
  
"How many times do I have to tell you?!" Fratley snarled, struggling against the bonds that held him down. "I don't know anything!"  
  
At least six geonomes were circling around the poor Burmecian, hissing questions and accusations. Fratley wasn't totally sure, but he suspected they'd actually taken him to the Fire Shrine (this thought mostly given value by the atrocious HEAT of the place).  
  
/I guess that makes it easy for Zidane and the others . . ./ Fratley thought crossly. /If they just continue the quest on without me and succeed, they'll find me by a fluke./.  
  
"This guy is USELESS!" one of the geonomes growled, folding his arms angrily across his chest.  
  
"No shit!" another shouted. They were glaring down at Fratley with those menacing green eyes.  
  
The room was like a cave; dark with rocky, slimy walls. Fratley was unceremoniously thrown on the ground with his arms and legs bound to keep him from using a spear or jumping abilities. /Bastards . . ./ the Burmecian thought bitterly.  
  
"Should we kill him, then?" a female geonome asked, glancing innocently at her comrades.  
  
"Nah. Just chuck him in the dungeons. Maybe if he's chatty enough he can get the OTHER prisoners to start talkin',"  
  
"Can do," One of the geonomes snagged Fratley by the collar and dragged him up. He started to struggle, but immediately the other geonomes leapt at him and held down his arms and legs to keep him immobile. They started to drag the knight out of the room and into the increasing intensity of the heat outside.  
  
Fratley was only given a brief impression of bodies and other wandering geonomes before he was thrown violently into another cave-like cell. Surprisingly, they untied his arms and legs. But when the geonomes stepped back and closed the cell-bars with a clank he saw that there was a magical barrier shimmering in between the metal cubes.  
  
"BASTARDS!!!" Fratley shrieked. One of the female geonomes grinned and blew him a kiss over her shoulder as Fratley's captors trailed, snickering, out of the room. This left the Burmecian with nothing but himself and his anger to keep him company.  
  
Or so he thought . . .  
  
At the time that Fratley believed himself to be alone, his eyes had not yet adjusted to the light (or lack thereof). But slowly, like a candle being lit in front of his nose, the scenery began to flicker and take shape . . .  
  
It was a dungeon. Or more likely, it was an enormous, quarter-mile-long cave dug under the earth. And carved into both sides of the narrow walls were prison-cells not unlike Fratley's. At least a hundred cells lined the rocky walls; fifty on each side of the narrow passageway.  
  
And almost every single one was filled. Fratley squinted into the darkness, sure his eyes were deceiving him. No . . . it was true. At least half the cells were filled with creatures that . . . looked like Zidane.  
  
/Could this be . . . the genomes?! My god, there must be at least two- hundred in here, if not more!/  
  
"Did you come to try and rescue us?" came a soft voice from somewhere in the shadows. Fratley moved up inquisitively towards his cell-bars (careful to keep a safe distance from the barrier) and realized the voice was coming from the cell right across from him. It was a female voice, sad but familiar.  
  
"I . . . not really. The geonomes jumped me in the street,"  
  
"You're one of Zidane's friends . . ." the young girl said suddenly. Fratley could see her better now, sitting on the dirty cave floor and looking at him from across the passageway with those electrifying blue eyes. There was only one other person in the cell with her (which was odd because most of the genomes were sharing a cell with four, five, or even six of their own kind). Yet for some reason, no matter how hard Fratley squinted into the cell, the Burmecian could not make out who was in the cell with the genome.  
  
"You seem familiar," Fratley murmured, gazing into the young girl's piercing eyes. She smiled faintly.  
  
"Then you have probably heard of me at least. My name's Mikoto,"  
  
Fratley gasped. "You're Zidane's younger sister!"  
  
"Correct,"  
  
"Er . . . pleased to meet you, I guess . . ." Fratley couldn't take his eyes off the person next to Mikoto. Why couldn't he focus on it . . .?! Mikoto seemed to notice the knight's inner struggle and smirked lightly.  
  
"Don't even try to make him out. He's not much more that an image right now,"  
  
"He? Who is he?"  
  
Mikoto grinned. "Take a closer look . . ."  
  
Fratley shimmied up dangerously close to the bars. Then he gasped and clapped his claws over his muzzle.  
  
Now this was definitely too much! If he hadn't known he was "dead," he would have said it was Kuja in the cell with Mikoto. But . . . but it WAS Kuja! He was even wearing the same clothes! Yet Kuja was see-through like a ghost made of water-vapor. His image flickered as if it were a broken hologram. The form the phantom had taken on was of Kuja slumped against the cave-wall as if he were unconscious or asleep. A strange, shimmering aura surrounded him.  
  
"That couldn't be . . ."  
  
"His soul," Mikoto whispered. "Trapped in imprisonment. It's dying pretty quickly outside of a body. Garland's worried. He needs his plan to be initiated quickly or else he's going to lose the soul. Either that or it will find a way to return to the cycle without him. Every hour the image gets a little stronger as Garland's hold increases, yet within the last forty-five minutes it's been fading out more and more. If Master Garland doesn't hurry, his plan will be in ruins,"  
  
Fratley's eyes gleamed. "Then we'll just have to hold him up, won't we?"  
  
"Indeed,"  
  
"Zidane and the others will come," Fratley assured the young genome. "Zidane's really . . . er . . ."  
  
"Pissed?" Mikoto offered.  
  
"Beyond pissed. They're coming right now,"  
  
Mikoto frowned. "I hope they can get through quickly. Garland has some new allies . . . They're formidable,"  
  
"Zidane would do anything for his family,"  
  
Mikoto lowered her gaze. ". . . I know . . . That's what worries me,"  
  
"We still have time," Fratley continued, trying his best to comfort the genome. The others prisoners were watching tiredly. They seemed unable to speak as if stricken with some grief.  
  
". . . Perhaps you do . . ." Mikoto whispered. "But I don't . . ."  
  
"What? Why not?"  
  
"Because," the child said slowly, looking up at Fratley with sharp, keen eyes. "Within a couple hours . . . that . . ." she pointed at Kuja's flickering, ebbing form. "Will be me . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: Ooh, ya think Mikoto's up to something? Well, she wishes she was, at least. The real hero in the plight of the genomes is going to be someone . . . rather unexpected. Then things are going to get dirty again. Here's another progress-check on this story (here I go with the speech again): Out of 172 scenes including the epilogue, the next chapter starts with scene #158. So that means there is only . . . fourteen scenes left? Whoa, we're closer than I realized. But don't worry, the scenes are LONG. Some of them could possibly take up more than one chapter. I mean, the finale itself is going to take more than one chapter for sure. Actually . . . Now that I think about it, a lot still has to happen. Keep in mind, Kuja's not out of this plot yet. I have some things . . . planned for him *evil grin*. Blah, web-comic info. Due to some, er . . . technical . . . difficulties, I do not have a link to give you guys yet (well, I do, but there's nothing there right now). First of all, I don't have Paint Shop Pro 8 yet. I have 7, but for some reason it keeps anti-aliasing my lines and making them ugly (damn them all to hell!). Also, my dad was out of town briefly and didn't have a chance to help me set up the site (curses!). So let's shoot for next chapter, kay? I'll have some more info on it when I've got the link. Also, I just wanna comment on something a reviewer said (and I know another reviewer made the point I'm about to make). Um, someone said in the last chapter that Kuja and Zidane never aged, however the other reviewer said exactly what I was thinking when I wrote the last chapter ^_^. It's very unlikely that Zidane never aged because it can be inferred in that boat-scene when Zidane's talking about the time he ran away from home that when Baku and Tantalus took him in he was a child. After all, wouldn't they get suspicious if they took somebody in and they NEVER aged? Also, they never specifically said Mikoto was created a year before Final Fantasy IX. If she was, then Zidane would have been in Tantalus for less than a year and they wouldn't be calling him "Bro" and giving him hard-core tasks like kidnapping national royalty (lol). It just wouldn't make sense to have him ageless. Besides, according to THIS story, Zidane and Kuja (I never really talked about Mikoto) were created different from the other genomes. Keep in mind, Kuja is a replication of Saishoja, not a full-blooded genome. It's very likely he and Zidane "grew up" from childhood to adulthood. Also, in the game Kuja looks VERY different from the genomes. If he didn't age, his hair wouldn't be that long (for example). I mean, even his features are different. Of course, a lot of it's just inferred, but still . . . It's just plain arguable ^_^  
  
Give me reviews or give me . . . something other than death. How 'bout more reviews? 


	41. Fire Fight

A/N: Wah, I'm a bad person . . . No linkie today. Maybe next chapter? *sigh* I feel bad about it . . . 'cause I said I would have the link and . . . yeah, you know . . . I don't. Technical . . . er . . . difficulties arose. GAH, I MUST HAVE A LINK FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER *tears hair out of head*. Anyhoo . . . This is an odd chapter in my opinion. I don't know why, but it came off as a very strange set of events. But Triss has a brief appearance and those are always amusing. Also, the last of the characters is introduced in this one and a little more of Saishoja and Drakja's back-story is explained. Just a little . . . But it's going to be very important later. Woot, read!  
  
Disclaimer: [To the tune of "Melodies of Life"] In my dearest memory . . . I'm owning Final Fantasy! Though I don't, I still believe that I can rule . . . the world!  
  
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"You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you mad."  
  
– Aldous Huxley  
  
Four hours and one uneventful airship ride later . . .  
  
"My GODS it's hot in here!" Eiko complained, rubbing the sweat out of her eyes.  
  
"No kidding," Amarant grumbled, trailing along at the back of the group.  
  
"Gee, who would have thought a Fire Shrine could be hot?" Zidane blinked innocently, staring up at the rocky, reddish ceiling. Garnet rolled her eyes.  
  
Getting into the Fire Shrine had been a lot easier than they'd thought. Not only was the chamber already unsealed, but there hadn't been a single geonome around to boot.  
  
"It's a trap," Zidane had said immediately. Nobody was going to argue on that one.  
  
"Garland's not stupid . . ." Beatrix whispered, peering around at the large stone columns lining the walls. They were stiff and worn like ancient soldiers at attention. Every once and awhile a piece flaked off and crumbled to the ground, startling them.  
  
"I wouldn't count on that," Steiner muttered. Beatrix ignored him.  
  
"It's more likely than not he's got some sort of trick up his sleeve,"  
  
"Amarant, Freya, you guys were in here before, right?" Garnet glanced over her shoulder at the pair. "Were there any hidden traps?"  
  
Freya shook her head, shrugging. "Not a thing, unless you count the Fire Guard,"  
  
"B-but you killed it, right?" Vivi looked rather worried.  
  
"Naturally," Freya nodded.  
  
"That was ALL your shrine had?!" Eiko complained. "That's so unfair! Ours threw giant water-bombs at us!"  
  
Zidane grinned to himself. "Ours – in our dear late Quina's own words – almost turned us into pancakes when the floor somehow tried to crush us into the ceiling . . ."  
  
"Well, then I guess it's a good thing Garland chose the Fire Shrine for his base," said Lani offhandedly.  
  
"Too good . . ." Zidane muttered. "There's got to be more to this. There's something we're not thinking of . . ." He shifted the lifeless, hooded and cloaked body slung over his shoulder uncomfortably. He knew if Kuja was awake he would have been running ahead and blasting at everything in sight to clear their path.  
  
/Stop thinking about that!/ Zidane scolded himself. /You're here to make sure Kuja will someday GET to blow more stuff up! . . . Or something like that . . ./.  
  
"I-I don't like this . . ." Vivi whimpered, his lamp-like eyes glowing nervously beneath his hat.  
  
"I agree," nodded Beatrix. "There's something fishy going on here . . ."  
  
Suddenly the hall ended and the team found themselves within an enormous chamber. Large stone pillars ran the length of the passage, each decorated with winding stone snakes that curved and spiraled their way up to the ceiling. The floor was cracked and old; the walls painted with ancient Terran scripts and symbols of Eidolons and no longer worshiped Terran gods. The heat was even more stifling there.  
  
"I know this place . . ." Freya whispered. "This is where Amarant and I fought the Fire Guard. But . . . it's different now. The podium for setting the stone down is gone . . . and most of the statues and pillars are missing . . ."  
  
"It's almost as if . . ." Beatrix furrowed her brow, her face becoming lined with increasing concern as she noted the obvious clearing in the middle of the chamber and the lack of other exits or entrances. Years of being Gaia's greatest general had taught her a thing or two about these sort of layouts. "It's almost as if this place has been cleared away . . . Like a battle arena . . ."  
  
"Ho ho . . . Then the Great General Beatrix's nose for the fight is as good as they say . . . I am pleased. Very impressive, sssssssssweetie,"  
  
The crew were all whipping chaotically around in opposite directions trying to figure out where the voice was coming from. It seemed to echo across the entire chamber; reverberating within the very heart of the shrine.  
  
"And my nose for the fight is even better," Zidane hissed, glaring up at the ceiling with grit teeth. "And I know a challenge when I hear one,"  
  
He began to detach himself from the group. Garnet let out a small whine of protest before realizing Zidane wasn't leaving to go take on the challenger by himself . . . He was laying Kuja carefully down on the side of the chamber to keep his vulnerable body safely out of the battle. Freed of his burden, Zidane cracked his knuckles.  
  
"Alright, I'm ready,"  
  
"Excellent," the mysterious voice whispered. It was more like a breathy rattling than anything. Inhuman . . . Female . . . but more like a snake than a person. "Your blood will taste sssssssweet tonight . . ."  
  
"Who are you?!" a typically unheard voice within the group shouted. The others raised eyebrows to see Megan with clenched fists, glaring around for their enemy. There was a faint, flinty laugh.  
  
"You're all murderers . . . traitors . . . beseechers of aid to those who can give none!"  
  
"What are you talking about?!" Zidane demanded, blue eyes blazing.  
  
". . . Don't – pretend – you don't – KNOW!!!"  
  
Flames suddenly erupted within the room. The entire chamber seemed to light on fire; fiery orange swelling up with its suffocating heat and forcing the team to its knees.  
  
She rose up from the sweltering, shimmering air, her yellow eyes aflame. Her skin was a bluish aqua, her clothes a scaly, glittering violet. Drenched in bangles and bracelets, she rattled like a python ready to strike. But her hair . . . Her hair was a bloody crimson red, pulled back into a thick, slithery, snake-ish ponytail. It was so long it could wrap around her body at least four times if not more. A pale pink tongue flicked from her lips, tasting the simmering air. Her yellow eyes were glowing furiously.  
  
The Fire Guard was back . . .  
  
"I thought you guys killed her!" Steiner hollered, eyeing daggers at Freya and Amarant.  
  
"We did!" Freya shouted back. "I swear! I remember watching her die!"  
  
The Fire Guard cackled with glee. "Then you both are the weakest here! Why, the rest of your nasty little friends did a fine and dandy job with my comrades, didn't they?"  
  
/Oh . . . shit . . ./ Zidane suddenly realized what was going on. /If she's referring to the other elemental guardians . . . Then we've got a real situation on our hands . . . Or more like it, a boa constrictor who's just been kicked . . ./.  
  
"We did what we had to do!" Eiko cried shrilly. "They were in our way!"  
  
"And we did only what Garland appointed us to do!" the Fire Guard shrieked. The flames creeping around the edges of the chamber roared with her increasing fury. "But you slaughtered them! ALL I HAD LEFT!!! War has taken my love! Taken my comrades! Taken . . . Even taken my appearance! WELL I'M ABOUT TO SHOW YOU WHAT WAR CAN DO WHEN IT'S IN THE HANDS OF THE GREATEST MAGICIAN TERRA HAS EVER KNOWN!!!"  
  
She charged down upon the group, flames spitting in a trail behind her. Megan, who had absolutely no skill or experience in fighting (and no magical powers to speak of) was forced to dive out of the way and huddle in a corner. The rest of the crew scattered as the Fire Guard withdrew a fiery, boiled-hot knife from one of the belts tied around her thigh.  
  
"Gah! Run for it!" Lani yelped.  
  
"Not a chance!" Zidane suddenly broke through the chaos of flames and dodging people. He wrenched the Ultima Weapon off his back and brought it streaming through the air. The Fire Guard caught it with her dagger and flung it straight out of his hands.  
  
"YOU ARE ALL GOING TO DIIIIIIE!!!" she snarled furiously.  
  
"For crying out loud!" Zidane stumbled. "Back-up, people!"  
  
Nodding hurriedly, the rest of the crew charged forward to aid their friend. They swiped at her with blades, magic, anything they could find. Freya gave a violent heave into the air, her spear at the ready. But the Fire Guard was too fast. The red-haired monster levitated backwards and vanished in a small spark. She reappeared at the other end of the chamber just in time to release a wave of flames upon the team.  
  
"God damn bitch!" Amarant was too slow and the ends of his pants charred black. The edges flaked off like charcoal. The others had barely made it out in time. Zidane kept glancing at the edge of the chamber to make sure his brother was safe.  
  
"You're working for Garland, aren't you?!" the genome yelled, rushing forward and swinging his newly-retrieved Ultima Weapon in a tight arc towards the Fire Guard's head. She dodged it and lunged straight for him, knocking Zidane backwards with a fierce elbow jab to the stomach.  
  
"Gee, how did you know, genius?!" She let a string of violent Terran expletives fly as she spiraled through the air and dodged several bursts of aqua-based attacks from Vivi.  
  
"That's the way!" Steiner encouraged the young mage. The Fire Guard swept over Vivi's head, scaring him nearly to death and using her muscular snake- hair to trip him flat on his back. Lani swung her axe, but the beast simply vanished again.  
  
"I am SERIOUSLY hating this!" Eiko snarled, casting a faint barrier over some of her nearby comrades. "How did you guys defeat her the first time?!"  
  
"We just kept attacking!" Freya shouted over the din of the battle. "Eventually she just withered away and vanished!"  
  
"Ever heard of WHISPERING?!" the Fire Guard cackled, releasing a jet of fire at Freya. The Burmecian dodged backwards quickly, then dove forward quite suddenly, taking the Guardian of Terra by surprise and nicking one of her bracelets. It shattered and fell to the singed floor in a million tiny fragments. The Fire Guard hissed, her tongue flickering, and she landed lightly at the back of the chamber.  
  
"You all think you can beat me?!" she mocked. "You're nothing but ANTS compared to my wrath!"  
  
"You've got some nerve!" Beatrix hollered.  
  
"Same to you, missssssssy!" the Fire Guard's yellow eyes were glowing with fury. "You come . . . you kill my comrades . . . and then you have the guts to try and enter within the shrine?! The shrine I was sworn to protect?!"  
  
"Bull – shit!" Zidane growled, rubbing his stomach irritably as he stumbled to his feet and retrieved his weapon. "The other guardians are dead so the protection system for Terra doesn't work anymore!"  
  
"Is that what you think this is about?!" the Fire Guard laughed, looking disbelieving. "Psh, Garland hired me because he knew I was FURIOUS!!!" She dove forward once more, darting through the group. Flames roared up in her path, forcing the team to scatter. Then she skidded and flipped around, revealing her two-inch fangs.  
  
"Come on! Show me what you're worth!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
". . . I smell fire . . ."  
  
"Yeah, me too. You think the guard outside is having a little fun?"  
  
"Meh . . . Probably," Drakja narrowed his green eyes, leaning back against one of the thick shrine pillars. Lulian was gazing eagerly at one of the passages leading to the entrance of Garland's base.  
  
"Ah, I wanna see the destruction for myself!" she whined, tail flicking. Drakja smirked.  
  
"Patience, Lulian . . ."  
  
"Gah, I can only hope a couple of those brats walk in here with a few crispy critters slung over their shoulders! Ooh, wouldn't that be cool?!"  
  
Drakja raised a delicate eyebrow. "You're acting like Dart, Lulian . . ."  
  
". . . And just what are YOU two up to?" Came a soft, sinister voice from (scarily) only a few feet away. Drakja felt cold shivers running up his spine. He knew that voice anywhere . . .  
  
"ARGH, IT'S YOU!!!"  
  
Lulian blinked. "Who's she?"  
  
"Run, Lulian. I'm not even kidding, please freaking run,"  
  
"She looks so cute . . . And small . . ."  
  
"GAH, RUN FOR YOUR GOD DAMN LIIIIIIIIIIIFE!!!"  
  
A syrupy little cackle emitted from the cloaked figure that stood there grinning. "Hehe . . . Garland was right. This place is TEEMING with geonomes!"  
  
"Wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-what are you doing here?!" Drakja was backing up until he hit the wall, his face as white as a sheet.  
  
"Who's she?" Lulian repeated, blinking. The cloaked figure giggled.  
  
"Come to cuddle with the kiddies, I have,"  
  
"T-Triss . . . What are you playing at?!"  
  
Triss took a step closer. Drakja cringed. "I'm just overseeing the damage, 'tis all. I must say, the reek of singed clothing IS delightful, isn't it?"  
  
"Triss?" Lulian cocked her head. "What is she? Some kind of monster?"  
  
Triss gave a twisted smile, fingering something in her cloak. "Monster? Feh, you wish. I will do far worse damage than any of those so-called "monsters" Garland is toting around here . . ."  
  
Drakja's eyes narrowed suspiciously at the weapons-smith. "What are you talking about?!"  
  
"What am I talking about?" Triss glanced mildly at the geonome with her hidden eyes. "Oh, really . . . You don't honestly think that Fire Guard is going to defeat the Angel of Death, do you?"  
  
Drakja gulped. "Wh-who's side are you on, here?!"  
  
Triss's eyes gleamed red and she licked her lips. ". . . No one's . . ." She let out a dramatic sigh. "Garland is so convinced these old reincarnations from Terra are going to help him . . . But the Fire Guard's going to be worthless by the time this little adventure's over . . . He certainly miscalculated on this one . . ."  
  
Lulian looked more curious than scared of the shrouded, child-like creature. "Why do you say that?"  
  
Triss chuckled to herself. "Don't you know what's going to happen when she finds out . . .?"  
  
"The Fire Guard?"  
  
". . . Hehe . . . She's going to be a might ticked, dare I say it?"  
  
Drakja was frowning deeply. "And just what makes you think the Fire Guard is going to fail?"  
  
"Fail? No, no, she's not going to FAIL! She'll give up; you'll see . . ."  
  
"But why?" Lulian and Drakja queried simultaneously. Triss smirked.  
  
"Because the first Angel of Death was cloaked the first time they met . . ." And that was all the creature said. With a faint "pop" she vanished. The lanterns that had previously been lit around the corridors billowed dangerously as if caught in a fierce wind; several blowing out. But they flickered back to life almost immediately, leaving Drakja and Lulian shivering with goose-bumps riding up and down their arms.  
  
"What was THAT all about?!" Lulian shouted, flabbergasted. Drakja's green eyes narrowed.  
  
"I don't know . . . But I do know ONE thing . . . That little imp is up to no good,"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The battle in the Fire Shrine was becoming more intense. The Fire Guard truly was out for blood this time. No longer was she trying to prevent anyone from entering the shrine . . . She was trying to kill them before they even thought about it.  
  
"Murderers!" the snake-light woman shrieked where she levitated, holding out her arms and allowing sprays of flames to blast from her fingertips. The team below dodged out of the way.  
  
"Freya, get her!" Garnet cried, skidding off to the side of the chamber as she felt her boots burning. Freya nodded, taking up her spear again. With a snarl, she shot into the air.  
  
The Fire Guard hissed and dodged Freya's spear. Obviously, however, Freya was at a disadvantage. Though she was the only member of the group that could jump that high (courtesy of the geonomes kidnapping Fratley), she couldn't levitate like the Fire Guard could. Her spear missed and she landed lightly on the ground. Then, taking a deep breath, she prepared to leap again.  
  
Zidane was clenching and unclenching his Ultima Weapon with fury. "Damn it, Kuja . . ." he muttered aloud. "Why can't you be alive when we need you?!" He knew full well that Kuja could not only fly like the Fire Guard, but could probably touch her blue-ish flesh and end the battle right then and there.  
  
/I'm supposed to be the better Angel of Death . . ./ Zidane thought angrily to himself. /By all rights I should be able to defeat this creature in a snap. Why am I so powerless against her?/.  
  
This odd thought suddenly fascinated the genome. As if his legs were moving of their own accord, he backed up lethargically from the battle and stood there watching the action.  
  
"Miserable wretch!" Beatrix swung furiously at the Fire Guard but couldn't reach her. "A cheap trick!"  
  
The Fire Guard simply cackled. "All's fair in love, war, and assimilations!"  
  
Zidane's mind was racing. /All's fair in love . . . war . . . and assimilations . . ./.  
  
Eiko was readying her flute. "I didn't want to have to Summon!" she shouted. "But it looks like you leave me no choice!"  
  
The enemy smirked. ". . . Your Eidolons will be powerless against me now that Garland has strengthened Terra . . . I could squash them like Gaian oglops!"  
  
/Strengthened Terra . . . Gaian oglops?/  
  
Suddenly, Zidane hurled into the air, his Ultima Weapon whizzing out behind him. The Fire Guard blinked and dodged out of the way with a cry. She vanished with surprise and reappeared at the other end of the chamber, her feet planted firmly on the ground.  
  
"Insufferable beast!" Zidane growled, pushing off against the wall and racing straight towards her. His Ultima Weapon shrieked as the Fire Guard caught it defiantly in her hands. Blood dripped down her fingers but she seemed to be ignoring it. Her fangs were bared.  
  
"You're one of the original Terrans!" Zidane snarled, backing the creature up against the wall of the shrine.  
  
"No shit!" the Fire Guard bit back. Her tongue flickered in Zidane's face but the position of her hands kept her from using any magic.  
  
"The magicians that Kuja told me about!" Zidane continued as if she'd said nothing at all.  
  
The Fire Guard let out a pained shriek and suddenly kicked the genome backwards. Then she lunged at him with all her might.  
  
"That name! DO NOT MENTION THAT ACCURSED NAME IN THIS SHRINE AGAIN!!!"  
  
The others could only stand and watch in horror as Zidane and the Fire Guard each struggled for a dominant position over the other. Zidane finally overpowered the creature and pinned her down against the floor. Then Zidane hesitated. The Guardian of Terra smiled toothily. ". . . I can't disappear you fool . . . My magic supplies were low from the beginning . . . and that little bitch just cast Osmose on me," She glared daggers at Eiko who smirked superiorly.  
  
"Kuja was the one that originally sent the guards to kill us, huh?!" Zidane accused. "Three years ago, practically to the day!"  
  
"That's right!" The Fire Guard suddenly used her snake-ish hair like a whip-turned-battering ram to hurtle Zidane off her body with a crack. He yelled and hit the ground hard. Garnet made a move to go towards him but he waved her away.  
  
"No! Let me handle this!"  
  
The Fire Guard rose and stepped menacingly towards Zidane as he stumbled to his feet. He quickly grasped his Ultima Weapon.  
  
"You think Kuja was a Gaian, right?" he queried, blue eyes blazing. "You think he came because he wanted us dead, right?"  
  
"Right!" The Fire Guard winced, summoning the few dregs of magic she had left to throw a pyre of flames in Zidane's direction. He darted out of the way and then, much to the surprise of his comrades, dusted himself off and continued to talk with the guard.  
  
"And then the other magicians died because of what he made you do, right?!"  
  
"Not as stupid as you seem, huh?!" The Fire Guard caught Zidane's Ultima Weapon with one of her remaining bracelets as he brought it down dangerously close to her shoulder. They stood there, arms trembling, aqua eyes glaring fiercely into amber.  
  
"Apparently YOU are!" Zidane kicked out at the beast, forcing her to stumble backwards. "You're attacking me! Kuja and I . . . we're Terran!"  
  
The Fire Guard blinked, not comprehending right away. ". . . What . . .?"  
  
"We're Terran, you snaky idiot! Look, tail!" he turned slightly to the side and waved the furry golden appendage in her face. The Fire Guard stared at it for a moment, then growled.  
  
"YOU'RE ONE OF THOSE FUCKING GENOMES!!! YOU'RE ALL A BUNCH OF FAKES!!! GARLAND AND I ARE THE LAST OF THE /REAL/ TERRANS!!!"  
  
She threw a punch at Zidane's face and they saw too late that there were flames dancing around her knuckles. Zidane yelped as he leapt away. The flames licked his vest, singing it slightly, and he stumbled backwards nearly landing right on top of . . .  
  
"Gah, Kuja, sorry!"  
  
Zidane quickly rolled sideways to avoid hitting his brother, accidentally brushing Kuja's hood off his face. Then the blonde leapt up, fists clenched and ready for a fight. The Ultima Weapon lay forgotten several feet away.  
  
"Alright, I'm ready!"  
  
But the Fire Guard wasn't attacking. In fact, she wasn't even moving. The snake-like appendage that was her ponytail was limp and lifeless, her arms hanging uselessly at her sides. Her golden eyes were staring at Kuja's face with a mixture of some kind of horror and fear.  
  
"N-no! It . . . It couldn't be!" She backed up a step, trembling. "No! Saishoja, why . . .?"  
  
Complete and utter silence descended. It took Zidane a second to realize he wasn't the ONLY person with his mouth hanging open like a suffocating fish in shock. He snapped it shut hurriedly, fumbling over what to say.  
  
"Th-that's not . . . Ahem . . . That's not . . . Saishoja . . ."  
  
But the Fire Guard wasn't listening. She stepped slowly towards Kuja's lifeless body, her eyes shining with what could have once been tears.  
  
"Saishoja . . . Truly, Garland did not . . . But they burned . . ."  
  
She slumped to her knees beside him, her fingers ghosting over Kuja's face as if they brought back some sort of tragic memory.  
  
"Garland said . . . He said he'd burned Saishoja's body . . . I was there . . . They lay it upon a pyre . . . And it went up in smoke . . ."  
  
The others were watching Zidane quietly as if waiting for him to force the Fire Guard away from his brother. But Zidane wasn't moving. He seemed riveted by this turn of events.  
  
". . . That's not Saishoja," Zidane repeated. He licked his lips, looking somewhat nervous. "THAT'S Kuja . . ."  
  
The Fire Guard whipped her head over her shoulder, the snake-like hair rattling with rage.  
  
"What do YOU know, you mangy cur?!"  
  
"I know that Kuja's my brother and right now you're touching him WITHOUT my permission . . ."  
  
The Fire Guard looked crestfallen. "But . . . No, that's not possible! This face . . . I would know this face a mile away! After all these centuries . . . It is still so clear in my mind . . .!"  
  
Zidane's eyes were lit. He could feel the little connectors in his head snapping together.  
  
"Kuja was cloaked when he spoke to you three years ago, wasn't he? He probably didn't want you to mistake him for Saishoja . . ."  
  
"This is TOO weird . . ." Lani whispered, shaking her head.  
  
"Th-this is scary!" Vivi was clutching his staff anxiously.  
  
The Fire Guard hissed. "How could that asshole be Saishoja?!"  
  
Zidane was smiling faintly. ". . . He's not . . . He's a replication. Garland's been lying to you, hasn't he?"  
  
The turquoise-skinned woman was looking mortified. "Garland . . . has been playing us ALL false! He told me the only people that would die would be those who were not of the new Terra . . . But now I recognize where I've seen you before!" she gaped at Zidane. "The genomes! Garland has hundreds of them in imprisonment! Th-they may not be my people . . . But if they are all replications like you claim Kuja is, then they were all birthed of a real Terran! Garland . . . Garland's been having me out to kill my own people!"  
  
Zidane sighed, nodding. "It's about time somebody realized it . . . See the state Kuja's in? Garland sent one of the replications to do that to him. He's been stealing souls that rightfully should belong to the new Terrans – the genomes – for years. Kuja's been becoming Saishoja for quite some time now . . . And Garland just put a death curse on him . . ."  
  
"That's it, Zidane . . ." Beatrix whispered, even though she knew he couldn't hear her. "Just keep negotiating like that . . . We might win this yet . . ."  
  
Zidane continued. "Your appearance; did Garland do that to you?"  
  
The Fire Guard nodded, biting her lip with one sharp fang. "I was once . . . I once looked something like YOU! With a tail and everything like the original Terrans of centuries ago. After Saishoja died, the world began to collapse. Garland said the only way anyone could survive would be serious mutation. He said Terra would never become habitable again, and then he warped my three other comrades and me. But the genomes were living there! It DID become habitable! And the fact that he didn't alter himself proves he knew it would! He changed me for no reason! L-look what he did to me!" She signaled towards her hideous, creature-like form. "I'm a freak!"  
  
"This is really confusing . . ." Steiner muttered to Beatrix. "The Fire Guard just changed her opinion in a matter of seconds. Just how old IS she?"  
  
Apparently the Fire Guard heard him. "You want to know the story?" she queried without even turning around to face the knight. His silence was her only answer. She sighed, her tongue tasting the air.  
  
". . . More than six centuries ago, around the time the war that would eventually destroy Terra began, I was an apprentice mage along with my three other comrades, Derek Kaze, Linda Eikitai, and Michael Shibo. When the war started, we became neutral warriors – the Four Great Terran Magicians – who could be hired by any side to fight. Saishoja's city wound up hiring me . . . And I, er . . ." The Fire Guard cast an anxious look first at Kuja, then at Zidane. Zidane's eyes narrowed.  
  
". . . You fell in love with Saishoja, didn't you?"  
  
The Fire Guard nodded so faintly it was hard to tell she'd made any response at all. "But . . . Saishoja wound up getting married to that . . . that damn woman! He loved her SO much!" The Fire Guard made a face. "But then when their first child was born there were . . . complications. Both mother and child died leaving Saishoja with nothing! His family had been in the care of, surprisingly enough, an opposing city,"  
  
"Let me guess . . ." Zidane was smirking at the irony of it all. "Drakja's city?"  
  
". . . How did you know that?"  
  
"Just a guess,"  
  
The Fire Guard looked suspicious but continued her story nonetheless. "Well, naturally Saishoja was furious. He swore revenge on Drakja, whom he had once been extremely close to,"  
  
"And then Drakja killed Saishoja during the battle that was fought the next day, causing a political Terran uproar that ended the world" Zidane butted in. "Kuja told me the story once,"  
  
The Fire Guard's eyes gleamed. "No, no he didn't! Drakja did something MUCH worse than that! He went to Saishoja at the Shin camp . . . OFF the battle-field. Those territories were considered no-man's land! In other words, what Drakja did was legally considered murder! He killed Saishoja in a neutral territory . . . It was against the law! I . . . happened to walk right in on them just as Saishoja collapsed," A twisted smile formed on the Fire Guard's face. "Drakja stabbed Saishoja through the back with a blade until it stuck right out of his chest . . . Straight through flesh . . . bone . . . and his heart,"  
  
"Ew," Eiko squealed off to the side. The Fire Guard ignored her.  
  
"Nobody knows what happened to Drakja after that. Most figure he fled, knowing he would be executed for his crimes. When the bombs were detonated Drakja probably died from the radiation while in hiding . . ."  
  
But that didn't sit right with Zidane at all. If Garland had recreated the old Drakja into the new Drakja that was pursuing Zidane and his comrades in the present era, he would have needed some of the original Drakja's DNA. How could he have gotten that if Drakja had fled and died of a nuclear winter? After all, hadn't Garland gone into a hidden underground lab in Bran Bal right before the bombing? The Fire Guard let out a tragic sigh.  
  
"Needless to say, Saishoja's ruined body was taken away and kept in his home city before a huge ceremony was conducted to cremate him . . . I . . . I was there, of course . . ."  
  
But that didn't sit right either! Then where had Garland gotten the DNA from?! The people would have noticed if Garland had taken Saishoja's body away at some point!  
  
". . . No, wait . . ." Zidane frowned. "The body they burned . . . It was a fake,"  
  
"Huh?" The others were staring at Zidane as if he were growing another tail out of the back of his head.  
  
"Garland constructed a fake body to be burned and took the real one for himself to study and reconstruct . . . Then he made Kuja,"  
  
The Fire Guard looked horrified. "That's terrible! . . . And illegal,"  
  
"But what about Drakja?" Garnet queried.  
  
"What do you mean?" The Fire Guard swelled with fear, her fangs bared. "Don't tell me – "  
  
"You mean you didn't KNOW?" Zidane was gaping at the beast. "Didn't you SEE him?"  
  
"I THOUGHT Garland's minion looked uncannily like Drakja! So he's a reconstruction as well?! That means I'VE BEEN SERVING MY BITTER ENEMY?!!  
  
". . . 'fraid so . . ." Zidane looked truly sorry for the poor creature. "Somehow he must have gotten a hold of Drakja's body in order to reconstruct the new one and all those geonomes . . ."  
  
"You think he tracked down Drakja six-hundred years ago after that incident and killed him?" Freya cocked her head curiously. Suddenly, the Fire Guard's face broke into a grin.  
  
". . . I know what happened to Drakja . . . It was right after he killed Saishoja. I was there. Saishoja said something . . . and then . . ."  
  
Zidane looked eager for answers. "And then . . . what?"  
  
The Fire Guard glanced at him slyly. ". . . It's a secret . . ." She rose huffily to her feet, fingers clenched and flames dancing around her wrists. "This . . . this TREACHERY of Garland's, however . . . is UNACCEPTABLE!"  
  
"Then you'll join us?!" Megan looked hopeful as she stood up from the corner now that it was safe.  
  
The Fire Guard nodded, growling. "Absolutely! I'll go and stop the flow of Mist from the Iifa Tree. It's my fault it started up again. You guys go on ahead . . . Save Kuja and the other Terrans . . . And make sure you give Garland an extra stab-wound just for me," She smirked. "You, my friends, have just made a very powerful ally . . ."  
  
She floated into the air and began to fly towards the exit when she suddenly stopped mid-air and turned around.  
  
"And by the way . . . My real name was Madeline Hebi. Only the other Terran Magicians, however, called me by my nick-name . . . I'm going to bestow that right unto you . . ."  
  
"And what's the name?" Zidane inquired. The Fire Guard chuckled, landing lightly and walking composedly towards the door.  
  
"Just call me . . . Taki-Bi . . ."  
  
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A/N: Yes! A new ally! Take THAT, Garland *kicks Garland repeatedly with Triss's cool spiky-soled boots* I think the introduction of Taki-Bi might make a few of the other chapters a little more clear (for example, why Garland said she would wake up if Drakja was near . . . Obviously her hatred for him might issue a response *evil grin*). Also, in the flashback of a previous chapter where we actually see Drakja kill Saishoja, ya might remember a woman screaming. Yeah, that was the Fire Guard . . . Ehe. And now to say something in my defense . . . When I give y'all the link to the web-comic (which I WILL!) you might notice in chapter one something that appears to be . . . oh gosh, it's too horrible to say . . . You might notice me seemingly *gulp* reusing names. But TECHNICALLY I'm not, and if you follow the web-comic you'll see why. I know that makes no sense now, but it will. Let's just say, they're not really names. Er, what I mean by that is like, for example, Taki-Bi isn't a name. It means "fire" in Japanese. So I wouldn't really be reusing names . . . Just . . . words *cough* . . . . . . . . *ahem*  
  
[Continuing to sing "Melodies of Life"]  
  
So far and away see the chapter flying by, darting through reviewers of the fic up in the sky. I've laid my hopes and prayers upon those guys . . . Leave them there and pray this story never . . . dies. YAY!!!  
  
READ AND REVIEWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!! 


	42. Dances With Death

Pre-A/N: Hello, Kuja88 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I love you.  
  
*blink* . . . . . WAH!!! *hugs Kuja88 till he/she (sorry, hard to tell gender with aliases) chokes* YOU – ARE – MY – HERO! You . . . You're so . . . smart. I mean, I KNOW I shouldn't be letting you know that you were right (bad BMD, bad!) but . . . but there was no WAY I was letting this one fly. You . . . *sniff* . . . You even provided textual evidence . . .! *bursts into tears of joy and throws arms around Kuja88 once more* Geez . . . you were EXACTLY right . . . I thought NO one would get it!  
  
Kuja88: Gah! *tries to free self*  
  
BMD: TEXTUAL evidence (you must have some KICK-ASS reading comprehension skills. I mean, it's like you were reading my mind!). *Releases Kuja88* Here's what I intend to do. Ahem. There is NO WAY I could possibly keep that review open to the public (though I'm a firm believer in never deleting reviews). So here's what I'm a gonna do for you. I copied and pasted the review into IT'S OWN PERSONAL DOCUMENT ENTITLED "KUJA88 REVIEW" and after the epilogue (when your beautifully predicted information is revealed) I'm going to review my own fic with a copied and pasted copy of what you said (with a note even showing when you reviewed etc.) to show how SMART you are!!! Oh, and I think this deserves a little reward, kehe. In keeping with your request (and many other reviewers', I'm sure) . . .  
  
BMD: *stops kicking Garland repeatedly with Triss's spiked boots, grin* Hi Garland.  
  
Garland: *cowering*  
  
BMD: *scary smile* . . . . . . . . . . . THIS IS FOR KUJA88 AND ALL MY FAITHFUL READERS!!! . . . . . . *kick*  
  
Garland: *rolls over and dies*  
  
Readers: YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!  
  
BMD: MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! *hugs Kuja88 again*  
  
Kuja88: HEEEEEELP!!!  
  
Drakja: *stares at dead body* . . . Oh, no *sniffle*  
  
BMD: *shrugs, kicks Drakja as well*  
  
End of Pre-A/N.  
  
REAL A/N: This chapter's kinda funny. I dunno why, but the whole thing (well, the beginning at least) is intended to be something of a goof-off on my part. I was REALLY bored and I wanted to stick a little humor into this fic, so . . . yeah, this is the result. At least five pages of sheer ridiculousness and then it's time to commence with our usual torture (what is that from . . .? "Center Stage"? Gah, I can't remember). This is actually a pretty cool chapter. It's another one of those "Zidane kicks ass" chapters. Kuja's still, er, out of commission . . . But expect him to have something of a part soon. Just . . . don't expect it to be what you think. Things are going to be miserable for the characters for several more chapters now. Waha. And just a little warning . . . THIS ONE'S A CLIFFHANGER!!! Whoo Hoo!  
  
Disclaimer: I'm not Japanese, so I could never own Final Fantasy. NEVER!!! *twitch*  
  
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"And I say I am dead, and I move."  
  
– Eric Draven, "The Crow"  
  
"How . . . how did this happen . . .?"  
  
"I . . . I don't know . . ." Eiko repressed a sob. "Th-this . . . this is HORRIBLE!"  
  
"This is the most traumatic experience of my life,"  
  
"Perhaps death IS merciful . . ." Eiko whispered. "I mean . . . how in the name of all the GODS did I get stuck alone with YOU?!" she glared up menacingly at Amarant. He grabbed her head in one hand like she was nothing and shoved the Summoner away.  
  
"Pipe down, pipsqueak . . ."  
  
"You pipe down you . . . you . . . you big fat rolling thing!"  
  
If he hadn't been the infamous Flaming Amarant, he probably would have laughed. "What the HELL does that mean?"  
  
"I don't know!" Eiko swiped a fist at the bandit as she bounced and bumbled along behind his loping form.  
  
"Just shut up," Amarant snapped. "We've got a planet to save and a coupla geonomes to pummel . . . If we get there ahead of the others I can bash Garland's face in before they come,"  
  
"Oh is THAT what this is about?" Eiko squeaked angrily. "Getting to the finish line ahead of everybody else?!"  
  
Amarant clearly wasn't listening. ". . . Maybe I could tear one of his arms off . . . I mean, we don't even know if he actually BLEEDS . . ."  
  
"– Are you even LISTENING to me?!"  
  
". . . Maybe I could rip his heart out . . . No, wait . . . I don't think he has one of those, either,"  
  
"Amarant!"  
  
". . . Heh, imagine the look on Zidane's face if he were to come and find Garland torn into a bloody carcass with me standing triumphant over him . . . Zidane would probably kill himself!"  
  
"AMARANT!!!"  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
". . . We're in trouble,"  
  
Eiko's shrill cry was drowned in the darkness before it could reach the ears of her faraway comrades . . .  
  
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"Do you think this is safe?" Garnet glanced anxiously at Steiner. The elder knight chuckled as the "clank-clank" of his armor reverberated across the passage-way.  
  
"I'm sure the others can handle themselves . . ."  
  
"But our most powerful member is, er . . . kind of, um . . . dead," Garnet tasted the word like it was bitter on her tongue. "And some of the pairings . . . I don't know . . ."  
  
"Whatever do you mean, Your Majesty?"  
  
Garnet coughed delicately. "Well, um . . . Gee . . . I mean, do you honestly think sticking Amarant and Eiko together was a, erm, very good idea?"  
  
"Well, it IS a mage and a fighter . . . And breaking into pairs and splitting up down different passageways was the only way we could attempt to find the prisoners – soul and living alike – fast enough,"  
  
Garnet suddenly clutched Steiner's heavily steel-covered arm. "Did you hear that?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"It sounded like a scream,"  
  
"Must be your imagination," Steiner smiled good-naturedly. "Wandering around in a creepy place like this can do that to one,"  
  
Garnet still looked unsure. "Steiner, I don't like this. Maybe we should turn back,"  
  
Steiner raised an eyebrow, laughing. "Nonsense, Your Majesty! We can handle whatever comes our way!"  
  
"You think you can handle THIS?"  
  
"Huh?" Steiner didn't even have time to register the quickly approaching object before it had completely engulfed him in darkness . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"So they're holding your boyfriend in here, hmm?" Lani was swinging her axe back and forth calmly, doing a pirouette here and there down the hall. Freya, as was usual of the Burmecian, was staring coldly forward and ignoring the swish and swoop of the axe.  
  
"Yes. And if even ONE hair of his head is harmed, I'll – " Freya suddenly screwed up her face. "Okay, so I don't know what the hell I'll do . . ."  
  
"Ah, details, details," Lani smirked to herself, tanned face glowing. "I'll let you borrow my axe if you cut down all the geonomes one by one so it makes a cool, bloody mess,"  
  
"Er . . . thanks . . . I think,"  
  
"Make sure it's gross, too. Maybe you could, like, deliver Drakja's head on a platter to Garland or something," Lani suddenly squealed with joy. "Oh my gawd, that would be SO COOL!!"  
  
Freya was looking wary. "What IS IT with bandits and disgusting mental images?"  
  
"I dunno. Instinct for the kill?" The hallway was beginning to narrow. The repressive heat of the Fire Guard's battle arena was fading.  
  
"Hey, Lani?"  
  
"Yah?" Lani skipped along ahead but turned her head over her shoulder with raised eyebrows.  
  
"Is it just me . . . Or is it REALLY dark in here?" Lani had, by now, completely evaporated from Freya's sight into the empty void of black.  
  
"Well, I guess we can't expect ALL of the Fire Shrine to be lit," drifted the bandit's voice from the darkness.  
  
Freya clutched her spear, whiskers twitching. "Something's not right . . . Lani what do you – " Freya suddenly stopped, feeling the pit of her stomach turning over with fear. "L-Lani . . .?"  
  
There was no response. Freya twisted her claws around the spear anxiously. "L-Lani, where are you?"  
  
Nothing. The hairs on the back of Freya's neck were bristling. She narrowed her green eyes, a typically suppressed growl curdling in the back of her throat.  
  
/That smell . . . Could it be . . .?/  
  
What it was it could be never entered Freya's mind. By then the world had gone black . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Vivi, this is really scary!" Megan whispered urgently as they trekked along the dark corridor.  
  
"Ah-I a-agree!" Vivi was shaking like a leaf.  
  
"D-did I ever tell you I was claustrophobic?"  
  
Vivi stopped dead. "R-really? M-me too . . . Wait. That's not good. We're in a tiny corridor . . . alone . . ."  
  
There was silence. Neither Megan nor Vivi dared to breathe. Then . . .  
  
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
They each let out a cry like a wounded, possibly strangled banshee and clutched each other, Megan forced to stoop down to Vivi's tiny height as they trembled with fear.  
  
"Vi-Vivi, did I ever tell you I thought you were adorable?"  
  
"N-no . . . th-thank you . . ." The two shivered, eyes clenched tightly shut.  
  
A menacing voice suddenly arose from the darkness. ". . . Oho . . . What do we have here?"  
  
Megan gulped and glanced down at Vivi. They each uttered a mutual sound of distress:  
  
"Meep!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Zidane, how much time do we have?" Beatrix was running her fingers up and down the sheathe of her sword nervously.  
  
"He's barely alive," Zidane muttered. "We've got maybe two hours . . . Probably less . . ."  
  
"That – is – not – good,"  
  
"Gee, no kidding," Zidane grunted and shifted Kuja's limp body over his shoulder. "Damn, you know, it's a good thing Kuja's a pansy who's obsessed with his appearance . . . Otherwise my arm probably would've fallen off by now . . . I mean, he weighs about as much as a freaking feather . . ."  
  
"How appropriate . . ." Beatrix smirked slightly, liking the calmer change in atmosphere and quietly thanking Zidane for it. "And a wonderful use of alliteration as well, if I do say so myself,"  
  
"Why, thank you, General Beatrix," Zidane chuckled, putting on a noble air. "It was most poetic. Simply spiffing,"  
  
"Gimme a break . . . Any stupid genome can string two words together,"  
  
The general and Zidane whipped around at the sound of the voice. But there was no mysterious apparition from the darkness or even a mocking reverberation from the walls. It had to be the most blatant back attack in history. Drakja was literally standing right there in the middle of the hallway, scrutinizing Zidane and Beatrix with his glittering, emerald eyes.  
  
"Aw man!" Zidane whined. "What do YOU want?"  
  
"Maybe a little more caution on your parts," Drakja mocked. "I've been following you both around for nearly ten minutes. I thank you, Angel of Death. Now I know how long Kuja has before the limit robs that shell of a body of its life,"  
  
"Oh, and just what are you going to do with that information?" Beatrix folded her arms across her chest, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Why, keep you busy for more than two hours, of course," Drakja responded as if it were the most obvious statement in the world. Zidane snorted.  
  
"Just try it!" He carefully, yet quickly, slid Kuja off his shoulder and onto the side of the hallway before bracing himself. "I'm not going soft on you this time, Drakja!"  
  
"Like I said before . . . You know, that day I 'killed' Kuja: our fight isn't over. I'm not going soft either . . . In fact, I'm going to make sure you're not living by the time this little rendezvous is over," Drakja's eyes were narrowed into slits.  
  
"Yeah, but this time you're gonna have to deal with ME too!" Beatrix snarled, wrenching her sword violently from her belt. Drakja was grinning a bit too widely for Zidane's liking.  
  
"Oh, I'm not worried about that . . ."  
  
"You should be!" Zidane suddenly came from nowhere, his daggers aimed straight at Drakja's head. "'cause it's going to be the death of you!"  
  
Drakja hurriedly parried, slinging a sword from his sheathe and catching the twin daggers with a loud clang. Then he forced Zidane's arms backward and lunged into him. Beatrix hurriedly swiped at Drakja who vanished with a pop.  
  
"Oh lord, not THIS again!" Beatrix heaved a sigh, clenching and unclenching Save the Queen as the couple waited for Drakja to reappear. Beatrix frowned.  
  
"Zidane, is he able to disappear for this long?"  
  
"I-I don't know . . ."  
  
Drakja cackled, appearing out from nowhere and kicking Beatrix so hard in the back of the legs that she fell forward with a cry. There was a spurt of blood but Zidane was too shocked enraged to see what weapon Drakja had used. A mistake he would later regret.  
  
"You bastard!" Zidane rushed forward, daggers glinting even in the gloom of the corridor. He'd expected Drakja to counter, but instead . . .  
  
"Hah, gotcha!"  
  
Zidane suddenly felt a pair of powerful arms grab him painfully around the neck, practically forcing him to his knees. He gasped, shocked, as Drakja pulled the genome into a violent head-lock.  
  
"H-hey! Wh-what are you doing?!"  
  
Zidane glanced around desperately for Beatrix. Her body was still collapsed on the floor. She wasn't moving . . .  
  
"Wh-what did you DO to her?!"  
  
"Just another one of the many beautiful uses for my gun," Drakja crooned into Zidane's ear. "I stopped her soul, just temporarily. She'll be unconscious for the next several minutes . . . Which is all the time I need . . ."  
  
"T-to do WHAT?!" Zidane struggled desperately but Drakja was too strong. The grip around his neck tightened and the genome choked, knowing immediately that he was pushing his luck. The geonome was DEFINITELY stronger this time. The rage that fueled the man on became apparent in a matter of moments.  
  
"You know, Zidane . . ." Drakja whispered softly into his victim's ear. "That so-called 'draw' of ours was a real stab to my pride . . . And frankly, I don't like people that question my powers . . . Vengeance isn't sweet enough for me . . . Nor is your death. So I think I'm going to grant you a little favor . . . You can spend eternity . . . With your brother,"  
  
"Wh-what?" /No . . . He wouldn't . . .!/  
  
"You always wanted to be with him," Drakja continued to hiss. His breath was like ghostly fingers burning Zidane's face. "But you were always robbed of the opportunity. Would you like to be with Kuja again? It can be easily arranged. Perhaps it would even be easier than rescuing him . . . After all, he's just going to DIE again,"  
  
"You SHUT THE HELL UP!!!" Zidane suddenly twisted and lunged free from Drakja's arms, practically throwing himself into the wall in an attempt to escape. Drakja didn't move from his spot, still smirking.  
  
"Zidane, I'm not going to lose. Even YOU know that. There are certain things in this world that are just bound to happen . . ."  
  
"Get away from me!" Zidane had scrambled to his feet and was backing away towards the wall.  
  
Drakja was slowly unsheathing the Metsubo. "This is what you want, isn't it?" he queried. "You know, Garland gave you a really good soul. He pretends he doesn't want it, but I know he thirsts for that wretched thing as much as Kuja's . . . He doesn't want mine, of course," Jealously flashed momentarily in Drakja's eyes. "There's something wrong with it, though he won't tell me what it is . . . I'm just following orders, after all. Don't worry, this will be quick . . . and you won't feel anything because by the time the actual Metsubo withdraws from your flesh you will already be a vapor . . . a figment without conscious thought . . . Isn't that what you want?" Drakja truly looked mad. His emerald eyes were glinting with many layers of insanity.  
  
/So that's what it is, is it . . .?/ Zidane thought, horrified. /Drakja's been jealous of the genomes after all . . ./.  
  
"Ah . . . I'm going to rescue my brother!" Zidane shouted defiantly. "And I'm not going to die in the process!"  
  
There was a pop and suddenly Drakja was standing beside Zidane and shoving him painfully to the ground. The ex-thief didn't even have time to react. He felt a fierce pain in his back and screamed.  
  
"No! No! No! No!" he struggled relentlessly to free himself but knew it was too late. His skin was on fire. He could feel his very being vanishing from his body. He felt, for several seconds, a detached sensation like being drugged.  
  
"No! No, I won't let you take my soul!" Zidane kicked out furiously but couldn't reach Drakja's gun. He was vanishing . . . dying . . . He would join his brother . . . He'd become nothing more than a mindless genome. Kuja's body would fail him . . . Garnet would probably want Zidane's soulless husk to be mercy-killed . . . He'd be together with Kuja . . . forever . . .  
  
Zidane's soul was still enough intact that he could see. Blearily as he lay there, paralyzed on the cold, shrine floor, he could make out Beatrix. What would she do when she woke up in a few moments and found Zidane reduced to . . . to whatever he had been before Garland had granted him the gift of awareness? He saw Kuja lying several feet away, hooded, cloaked . . . dead. He'd never wake up again. There wasn't enough time. Garland would use the souls as he saw fit, Mikoto's as well, and the three Angels of Death would perish together for eternity.  
  
/Kuja . . . No . . . I promised I'd save you . . . I swore . . . I'd return the favor!/  
  
"I'M – NOT – GOING – TO – DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIE!!!!!!"  
  
Zidane's eyes rolled up into his head. Drakja, standing above him and holding the gun suddenly jerked with surprise. His fingers clenched onto the handle as if he'd been electrocuted and his hands had become positively charged to the metal.  
  
"Nng, what . . . What IS this?!" Drakja tried to let go of the gun but couldn't. He was stuck . . . Then he shrieked in pain as the electricity ran up the nozzle. He realized seconds too late what had happened . . .  
  
Light burst suddenly from Zidane's limp body. Rays of fierce pink and red energy exploded and rocked the chamber, throwing Drakja backwards so hard he hit the back wall with a thud and slid slowly down, shielding his eyes from the wild wind whipping the corridor. A dome-like barrier was growing around Zidane, spreading until it filled the entire hall and shook its very foundations. Drakja stared at the ever-swelling bubble with increasing fear. He knew what would happen when it touched him but he was frozen . . . Paralyzed. He closed his eyes, waiting, tensed for death.  
  
/It doesn't matter . . ./ the geonome thought to himself. /Zidane fought off the Metsubo, but his soul was already leaving when he did . . . It's like Triss said . . . If the soul isn't completely taken, it gets lost to the Mist . . . Heh . . ./.  
  
His hair billowed out around him, the pressure from the barrier already starting to crush his lungs. Drakja let out a strangled gasp when quite suddenly he felt icy hands grip his shoulders and a flash of silver.  
  
Then he was gone . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Nobody had ever seen Eiko pout so much in their entire lives.  
  
"You guys too, huh?" she queried as Freya and Lani were each shoved into a dungeon cell by a group of geonomes. Lani shrieked and tried to free herself but the bars closed with a clang and a slight fizzling noise alerted the prisoners that a magical barrier had just been put up.  
  
Freya looked around quite alarmed. "Oh my god . . . Did EVERYONE get caught?!"  
  
Indeed it seemed that way. Every single couple that had broken off from the group was together in a cell. Steiner and Garnet in one . . . Eiko and Amarant in another. Freya and Lani had just gotten shoved into theirs. And of course, Megan and Vivi were cowering and shivering in a cell just a few feet away.  
  
"Are we really that pathetic?" Eiko looked murderous.  
  
"Zidane and Beatrix are still amiss," came a soft voice from nearby. Freya practically threw herself into the bars before Lani leapt up and fiercely grabbed her by the tail.  
  
"Freya! Barrier!"  
  
"Ah – r-right," Instead Freya settled for getting down on her hands and knees and crawling as close to the bars as she could. "F-Fratley . . .?" she whispered hesitantly. From one of the cells on the others side of the dungeon she could make out her boyfriend looking very exhausted but thoroughly happy to see her.  
  
"Freya, dear, thank Atomos . . ."  
  
Freya let out a gasp of relief. ". . . You're alright . . ."  
  
"Indeed," Fratley's whiskers quivered. "The geonomes realized me quite useless. But I must ask, how in the name of the heavens did EVERYONE here get caught?"  
  
There was quite enough blushing to go around.  
  
"Damn geonomes," Amarant grumbled. "They just snuck up on us and used their stupid Shadow-Balls to knock us out. We were completely outnumbered,"  
  
"Same," Lani muttered. "And I take it Vivi and Megan suffered the same fate?" The frightened couple nodded soundlessly.  
  
"We weren't," Garnet was a bright shade of red. "Steiner here got himself hit over the head with a mallet. The geonomes were correct in guessing the reverberation in Steiner's helmet would knock him out," Steiner hissed something that sounded strangely like "bastard hooligans." "And then they proceeded to Shadow-Ball me,"  
  
"That's great," Fratley rolled his eyes. Then he replaced his sarcasm with a nervous look. "But what of Zidane and Beatrix?"  
  
"Hey, m-maybe those two were successful," Megan looked pathetically hopeful.  
  
"But they had Kuja with them and he probably slowed them down," Garnet pointed out.  
  
"Yeah, and if they don't hurry Kuja's death will become irrevocable," Fratley pointed one claw in the direction of the cell across from him. The others, thanking the fact that only bars separated the cells rather than actual walls, let out gasps of surprise to see Kuja's shimmering, shadowy form slumped over in the cell beside what was unmistakably Mikoto. Mikoto flashed them a nervous smile.  
  
". . . Is that . . .?" Eiko's eyes were the size of saucers.  
  
"His soul," Mikoto murmured. "Vanishing quickly. Garland has to hurry up if he wants it. Very shortly it will dissipate into the Mist. Then it could take Garland years and years to find it again,"  
  
All at once, the door at the end of the hall was kicked open so violently that it slammed against the wall with an ear-shattering clang. Inside stepped several geonomes, all of which seemed very proud of themselves about something.  
  
The first three were carrying a very unconscious but slowly stirring Beatrix. Behind them was one geonome with Zidane slung over his shoulder like an empty sack. After them came another two geonomes carrying Kuja's body. Trailing along quietly behind were Drakja and Lulian.  
  
"Oh shit!" Lani whispered urgently. The geonomes walked solemnly past, some throwing the prisoners haughty looks and sticking their tongues out. Then they thrust open the cell next to Garnet and Steiner and practically threw Zidane and Beatrix into it. Beatrix hit the cold ground and groaned. Zidane didn't move. He appeared to be knocked out.  
  
"What should we do with this thing?" one of the geonomes queried, signaling towards Kuja. Lulian hesitated.  
  
"Just throw it in the cell for now. Garland will probably want it later,"  
  
A nod, and then Kuja was thrown rudely on top of Beatrix. Lulian was glaring at Zidane.  
  
"Drakja, did you use the Metsubo on him?" she glanced into Mikoto's cell but didn't see a projection beside her. Drakja seemed deep in thought. Then he whispered something into Lulian's ear and she clapped her hands over her mouth.  
  
"Oh my god!" she gasped. "Garland's going to KILL you!"  
  
"Just shut up," Drakja growled, turning away. Lulian frowned.  
  
"What the hell's YOUR problem?"  
  
Drakja didn't respond as he began to walk from the dungeon, the others geonomes slowly following. The alpha-male didn't want to tell anyone why he was so aloof. But in fact, something was slowly eating away at his insides. As he stepped through the threshold and waited for his underlings to pass him, Drakja rubbed his shoulders where those cold hands had grabbed him and dragged him through the very wall to safety. He'd simply blinked, realizing he was now in a completely different room. He'd looked around for his rescuer and found no one. After that he'd simply gotten up, called over some of his comrades, and captured the Angels of Death and Beatrix.  
  
/Whoever it was . . . he was barrier transmigratory . . ./ Drakja hesitated then gave himself a mental slap in the head. /It wasn't him!/ the geonome tried desperately to tell himself. /He's been dead for over six-hundred years and his spirit is in hiding. Just because you saw a flash of silver doesn't . . . doesn't mean anything. Besides, Saishoja wants you dead. He wouldn't just . . . He wouldn't just save your life . . ./.  
  
Drakja shook his head furiously. "I didn't see a ghost. I didn't see . . . anything at all. Saishoja's dead,"  
  
And that was that. Drakja, ignoring the strange looks he was getting from Lulian, proceeded to exit the dungeon.  
  
". . . Saishoja would never save my life . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: *gasp* Wh-what's that I smell . . .? C-could it be . . .? No, it couldn't! Oh, but I think it is . . . Oh, it most definitely is . . . PLOT- TWIST!!! *cheers* Man, we haven't had one of those in, like, seven chapters. So now this all poses a strange question. Is Saishoja out of hiding? Did he ACTUALLY rescue Drakja? And if he didn't, then who did? Well guess what? We don't find out until the second to last chapter!!! Nya nya nya nya nya nya! *sniffs air again* Actually, that smells like something else . . . I think it's gasoline *scritch* Heh, my apologies, I just saw the movie "The Crow" and now all those goofy lines are stuck in my head (best damn movie EVER. It even beat out the first Matrix movie for me. Now THAT is quite a feat). Oh, and guess what else? Hee. I lost my keenspace page. Yup. Had ta re-register and everything. Which means you guys aren't going to get a link for . . . WEEKS! I-It's not my fault . . . (okay, maybe it is. Shut up). I PROMISE, however, that AS SOON as the site is functional you will all have a link to go to IMMEDIATELY even if I have to post an incomplete chapter. I am dead serious about this. But till then, here's a few details on the web-comic. This is the narration (kind of like a prologue) from the first page of my web-comic:  
  
"They say . . . "God helps those who help themselves." And maybe that's true . . . But I've found . . . that death . . . SPARES those who spare themselves . . ."  
  
Okay, hopefully that'll tie you guys over for a few more weeks *sweatdrop* I must have a death-wish . . .  
  
. . . . . . . . . . *hugs Kuja88*  
  
Kuja88: YOU – ARE – SO – WEIRD!  
  
BMD: . . . I can't help it . . . That made my day. I was feeling pissy, I saw the review, and then I took a shower and spent the entire time washing my hair while trying to figure out a way to thank you despite, er, deleting the review (I'm sorry, but it's top-secret information, lol ^_^) 


	43. Not All Who Are Dumb Remain Silent

A/N: Whee, more weird chapters! And more awesome reviews (I so happy)! It's been good *big grin.* So . . . What to rant about this chapter, ne? Well, I do know one thing. Everybody's gonna kill me. This chapter's a HORRID cliffhanger AND the next chapter is the ULTIMATE take-off into the downward spiral. I mean, when I said the finale of this story took the poor cast downhill I SERIOUSLY meant it. Heehee . . . This chapter pretty much ends with me making the character's lives a – living – Hell. WHEE!! Ooh, and a reviewer asked where Ummei was. Good news, this is an Ummei chapter! A BIG Ummei chapter, in fact! One I've been looking forward to!  
  
Disclaimer: Final own don't Fantasy I. Stupid memory. It's a wonder I talking good can do still. Sorry, I'll stop with the random 8-Bit Theater references. But they're so damn CUTE! . . . And evil . . . Heh.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"It's odd that you can get so anesthetized by your own pain or your own problem that you don't quite fully share the hell of someone close to you."  
  
– Lady Bird Johnson  
  
Several minutes passed. The other prisoners watched Beatrix and Zidane closely, waiting. Beatrix appeared to be rousing herself from the depths of some deep, suffocating sleep. She seemed to wrestle with her very soul for minutes, grinding her teeth with pain and coughing. Then, suddenly, she opened her one good eye and lurched up with a gasp.  
  
"Beatrix!" several of the other group members exclaimed with excitement. Beatrix was looking horrified.  
  
"Zidane?! Zidane, oh god, where are you, Zidane, I – " She stopped when she finally spotted her cell-mate lying unconscious several feet away. Then the general blinked and glanced down where she felt a small weight on her legs. Beatrix stared. Shook her head. Stared some more.  
  
"WHY is Kuja sprawled over on top of me?" She gently rolled the limp sorcerer off.  
  
"'cause that's where they threw him . . ." Amarant snapped.  
  
"And by "they" he means the geonomes," Eiko finished.  
  
Zidane was finally beginning to stir as well. Beatrix spun around on the ground and stared at him. The others watched apprehensively. The ex-thief opened one bleary blue eye and frowned.  
  
"How the HELL did I get here?"  
  
"Ugh, must we go through this again?" Lani snarled. Zidane sat up, groaning and rubbing his forehead.  
  
"Crap, what the hell . . .? Where's Drakja?"  
  
Beatrix blinked. "Uh oh. Where IS Drakja? I remember getting stabbed with something, but you . . .?"  
  
Zidane gazed into the darkness for a moment, trying to remember. Then, in one fatal whoosh it all came back to him: the assault, the jealousy, the whispers . . . the Metsubo.  
  
/I started to Trance . . ./ Zidane realized. /Like some hidden power in me forced Drakja away . . . Then he just . . . he just disappeared! But before he did, he . . ./. Zidane felt a cold chill run like icicles up his spine. Something was NOT right . . . But upon spotting the cell across the dungeon, all Zidane's other thoughts were wiped from his mind.  
  
"Oh my god . . . Mikoto, is that you?"  
  
From one of the cells across the corridor a small voice responded: "yes, brother,"  
  
Zidane rose shakily to his feet (despite Garnet's protests from the cell next to him) and moved towards the bars.  
  
"Mikoto, are you alright?!"  
  
"I'm fine . . . for now . . ." the young genome said softly. "Unfortunately, my soul is expected to be drawn some time within the next few hours . . ."  
  
"Oh, no . . .!" Megan murmured from the cage she shared with Vivi. "Guys, is there ANY way we can get her out of here?"  
  
No one spoke. For once, there really seemed no hope. All the cells expect for the ones with ordinary genomes in them were protected by magically muted barriers. One touch from those and you could die. There was no way anyone could get through them. His mind stuck in a sort of zero-space, Zidane stared at the shadow beside Mikoto. He didn't have to ask what that phantom-like form was.  
  
/Kuja's time is running out . . ./ Zidane thought angrily. /How in the world are we going to get ourselves out of this one?!/  
  
Zidane closed his eyes for a moment. He felt . . . oddly tired. Luckily, he opened his crystalline eyes just in time to spot a slight flicker beside Kuja's soul. Zidane stared. "Oh gods . . ." he whispered.  
  
He'd seen . . . himself?! Next to Kuja?! No . . . No, there was only one thing that could have looked like that!  
  
/My soul . . ./ Zidane mentally gasped. /The Metsubo left an escape route for it! M-my soul is drawing itself out! So that's why Drakja was so pissed off . . .! In failing to capture my soul, he caused it to begin dissipating into the Mist. I-I'm a walking time-bomb! A-any minute now I could suddenly lose my soul and . . ./.  
  
Zidane couldn't think about it. No, he couldn't believe that that was how it would end. Zidane's thoughts were racing as he stared blearily through Kuja's ebbing soul.  
  
/But if Taki-Bi manages to stop the Iifa Tree my soul will be secured . . . But only if she can stop it in time . . . And if I die, Garland could still find my soul when he gains enough power to control the Mist. On top of that, if I die the others probably won't be able to save Kuja! All of Gaia will perish and the planets will assimilate!/  
  
"Zidane, is something wrong?" Garnet looked worried. Zidane hadn't realized he'd been sinking slowly towards the ground, overcome with a strange weariness. He felt tired . . . drained . . . like his soul was being sucked from his very body (which it was). He managed to keep himself in a sitting position and nodded faintly.  
  
"Y-yeah . . . Just tired . . ." He couldn't tell them. "But guys," Zidane glanced around nervously. "I-I can't tell you why just yet, but . . . Let me just say this: whatever pathetic amount of time we had before . . . It's just been cut in half . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
When the door to the dungeon opened yet again, quite a few of the prisoners were nearly startled senseless (Vivi looked like he was about to die). Of course, that was nothing compared to the shock of whom was entering . . .  
  
"Garland . . ." Fratley hissed. Garland was walking proudly through the dungeon, his metal heels clicking along the floor as he moved. The black cape that seemed forever a part of his body fluttered and swelled as he walked. The Terran overlord's empty gray eyes were glaring about in a menacing, mocking manner as he observed his geonome's handiwork. Sure enough, right behind him was Drakja (looking quite smug in his master's shadow) and a geonome the crew didn't recognize (and whom didn't look very intelligent, either).  
  
"Well, well," Garland stopped in the section of cells where the members of the crew were being held prisoner. "Look what the geonome dragged in . . . Excellent work, Drakja," The others figured if Drakja's grin got any wider his face might burst. "I trust my little enemies here know how the assimilation works, hmm?" There was no response save the glares of death. "Excellent, then I need explain nothing," Garland clapped his hands together, smirking.  
  
"Master, have you made your plans for the Angels of Death, yet?" Drakja stuck his tongue out at Amarant and Eiko when he thought no one was looking. Amarant gave him the finger.  
  
"Yes, yes, of course," Garland seemed somewhat annoyed. "Drakja, get another geonome in here now,"  
  
"But Ummei – "  
  
"Another one, NOW!"  
  
As Drakja hurried off to complete the orders, the crew members noticed a rather significant droop in the geonome they didn't recognize. They figured the poor sap was the aforementioned Ummei. Despite the fact that he was the enemy, they couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Drakja returned promptly with a geonome, both looking mildly curious.  
  
"You there," Garland pointed at the new underling. "Get that genome over there out of her cell and take her into my chambers. You will lock her in there with no less that fifteen guards outside the door. Make sure at least TWENTY follow you,"  
  
The geonome nodded and began moving towards Mikoto's cell. Mikoto shrunk away as Drakja threw the young man a set of keys. But it was all futile, of course. Despite minor struggling, Mikoto was soon thrust into the geonome's arms and dragged, whimpering, from the room.  
  
/No!/ Zidane thought, horrified. /Th-they're removing her to take her soul! Mikoto!/  
  
"And you, Drakja," Garland continued. "Will be taking Kuja,"  
  
Drakja's emerald eyes widened to considerable proportions. Silence fell upon the chamber. No one spoke for several minutes in the confused disquiet. The geonome soon expressed the very question all in the dungeon were thinking: "Wh-why?!"  
  
"Why, to burn the body, of course," Garland responded as if this were all somehow normal. "Now get him, go!"  
  
Drakja shrugged, closed his eyes, and with a pop had teleported into Beatrix, Zidane, and Kuja's cell without being injured by the barrier. Zidane wanted desperately to fight, but he felt exhausted. Drakja seemed to know this and grinned. Beatrix, as well, was still suffering from the effects of the Metsubo. Drakja roughly scooped Kuja up and over his shoulder and then the two vanished and reappeared back outside the cell. Zidane's tired, furious, burning gaze followed the geonome like a shadow of death that was soon to come. Oh, how wonderful killing that bastard was going to feel . . .  
  
"Ready?" Garland queried. Drakja nodded. "Then let us proceed,"  
  
Garland began to walk from the dungeon as if it were a funeral procession. Drakja trotted solemnly behind him, the near-dead form of Kuja slung over his shoulder.  
  
"You'll be posted here for guard duty after you help me take care of Kuja," Drakja instructed Ummei as they passed. "And don't mess up!"  
  
Ummei said nothing. He was staring at the door. The geonome carrying Mikoto was waiting there for the "cavalry" to come and guard him in case Mikoto tried any funny stuff. Zidane was quite as shocked as Ummei. Zidane had never seen Mikoto look scared or have any emotions resembling fright. But now she was sobbing, crying to be free.  
  
"Ummei!" she shrieked. "Ummei, don't let them take me! Wh-when Drakja used the Metsubo on me before . . . Ummei, it hurt! Help me! UMMEI!!!"  
  
But the other geonomes had arrived, and soon Mikoto's cries had faded away to nothing. Zidane was surprised. Had Mikoto befriended this odd, slow- witted geonome? Ummei looked scared. Soon Garland and Drakja had left. The door slammed shut, sending the dungeon into icy cold darkness. Ummei stood in the middle, still unmoving.  
  
Mikoto . . . Everywhere he looked he saw Mikoto . . . They all looked like her: innocent, doomed . . .  
  
And then it cleared. Ummei's mind shut off; his body numb. He couldn't be a traitor, he couldn't be a hero. But still . . . He knew what he had to do . . .  
  
Without so much as a word, Ummei reached slowly into his hair. His movements seemed fluid, as if he'd practiced them in his mind a million times before. His eyes were glazed, his hands moving of their own accord. All of the dungeon watched him with curiosity. When Ummei removed his fingers, they saw that he was holding a small hairclip from his ponytail. He held the little scrap of metal in front of his eyes, staring at it as if it were more than just a worthless piece of copper. He was holding his breath, waiting. Now . . . Just do it . . .  
  
And he dropped it. Ummei, with a simple release of pressure from his fingertips, allowed the clip to fall gracefully to the ground and hit the dirt with a "tink" before rolling in front of one of the genome's cells. No one spoke or dared to breathe. This odd little act of defiance had taken everyone by surprise. Then Ummei raised his eyes – now clear – and glanced around significantly. He gave a faint smile, a faint wink, and then (after a distant shout of "Ummei! Come on!") quietly took his leave of the dungeons.  
  
Nobody spoke. The hairclip on the floor looked so innocent . . . As if it had just slipped out of somebody's hair one day and no one had bothered to pick it up . . . It looked like it would be buried in dust by the end of the hour and no one would remember it was ever there at all . . . The dungeon was wrapped in silence . . . Then . . .  
  
"Quick, quick, grab it!"  
  
"What are you waiting for, pick up the clip!"  
  
"Get us out of here!"  
  
"What's taking so long?!"  
  
"The clip, fool, the clip!"  
  
"GRAB THE GOD DAMN CLIP!!!"  
  
In the chaos and confusion of the entire crew leaping to its feet and screaming at the cage of genomes nearest to the clip, the dungeon soon became alight with the pulse of frantic desperation. Their one, last beacon of hope . . .  
  
The genomes in that particular, unfortunate cell seemed extremely confused. They stared at the shouting group of newcomers with raised eyebrows and clouded expressions. Soon Beatrix remembered that these were genomes and that they were still becoming accustomed to whom they should listen to and whom they shouldn't.  
  
"Everyone, SHUT UP!!!" the general shouted suddenly. In their surprise, the crew quickly closed their mouths, several even sitting down and staring stupidly at her. Beatrix kneaded her forehead for a moment, savoring the silence, and then moved up as close to her rigged bars as she dared.  
  
"You four over there . . . Do you have names?" None of the genomes in the cage spoke. Eventually, one of them, a female, opened her mouth hesitantly.  
  
"Th-they call me Yuukan, miss,"  
  
Beatrix smiled faintly. "Well then, Yuukan . . . Do you see that clip there in front of the cell,"  
  
Yuukan slowly roved her brilliant blue eyes onto Ummei's hair-piece. She nodded. Beatrix continued, a slight urging in her voice like one would use to tempt a frightened puppy out from under an airship.  
  
"Listen . . . if you pick up that clip . . . you can free us. All of us,"  
  
Yuukan seemed confused again. Simple locks were not something genomes had been taught on Terra even by their merciless "Crystal." On Terra everything was computerized. A locked door was opened by a telepathic call or a password. Not a key or, in this case, a piece of useless scrap metal. Zidane stood watching Beatrix closely, ready to jump in case things weren't working out.  
  
"Okay, first things first . . ." Beatrix said slowly. "You have to at least get the clip. Reach through the bars and just . . . just grab it. Don't worry, your cells aren't rigged like ours. Just . . . stick your arm through – yes ! Excellent, keep going! You're almost there!"  
  
Yuukan pressed her cheek reluctantly against the bars as she shoved her thin arm through the metal rods. Her fingers brushed up against the clip, missed, and then made a grasp for it again. A silent cheer went up in the dungeon as Yuukan's fingers clenched around the clip's minute frame and withdrew it back into her cell.  
  
"Okay, okay, don't everyone get their hopes up just yet," Beatrix bit her lip. "Alright, Yuukan, now you have to reach through the bars again. Do you see that part of the bars that's thicker. There's a hole in the front of it. Stick your arm back through the cage and feel around for the hole with the clip. When you find it, stick the clip into the hole and twist it around inside until you hear a click,"  
  
Yuukan nodded and pulled her arm back into the outer world. She scraped at the metal for a moment before Ummei's hair-piece suddenly sunk into the keyhole. She twisted and turned but seemed unable to open the lock. A nervous tension rose up within the room.  
  
"It's alright, Yuukan . . ." Beatrix whispered. "You can do it . . . There should be an even smaller hole in the hole. Find that, and then we're home free . . ."  
  
Several tense minutes passed. Suddenly . . .  
  
CLICK. The door creaked and swung open with a rusty whine. Yuukan, withdrawing her arm, stared at the door as if it had suddenly turned to gold.  
  
"Yes! Yes!" Beatrix clapped her hands over her mouth in relief. The others were cheering. Even some of the genomes in the other cells were smiling shakily. "Okay," Beatrix continued to instruct. "Now come over to my cell and do the exact same thing. You should be able to see the key- hole from the front now,"  
  
"But don't stick your arm through the bars," Zidane warned, coming up beside the general. "Or you'll get zapped . . ."  
  
Yuukan nodded as she tentatively opened the door wider and crept out. The three other genomes in the cell with her seemed nervous but followed the braver of the four out into the corridor. They seemed suddenly excited to feel ground beneath their feet that was not restricted to a ten by ten square of dirt. Once Yuukan had reached Beatrix and Zidane's cell, she picked the lock and watched the bars swing open. The barrier still fizzled between the rods so Beatrix and Zidane had to edge their way out carefully. Beatrix laughed.  
  
"Yes! Awesome! Here, I'll take over now," she gently took the hairclip and rushed off to open all the cells. As soon as Garnet's was open, the queen flooded out and threw her arms around Zidane.  
  
"Oh, thank goodness you're alright!"  
  
Zidane smirked, rubbing Garnet's back. "It's alright, Dagger . . . Geez, cool it,"  
  
The others were happily stretching as they stepped carefully into the dungeon. The genomes were watching their doors swing open but remained too afraid to come out just yet. Apparently, this was a good thing because Beatrix began talking again once every filled cell had been unlocked.  
  
"Okay, Zidane and my comrades are coming with me. But the rest of you . . ." she glared significantly around the room, sweeping her menacing eye over every genome in the dungeon. "You are NOT to leave here until we give you word. I'm pretty sure that Ummei guy will be making sure no one comes back in here while he's out. Either way, don't even THINK about leaving the dungeons, okay?!"  
  
"It's for your own safety," Fratley added.  
  
"Yeah, that too . . ."  
  
"Gah, what are we waiting for?!" Eiko shrieked. "Let's go already!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
". . . Pity, pity . . ." Garland shook his head tragically as Drakja (with a bit of help from Ummei) carefully laid Kuja's unconscious body down on a bolted metal table in the room labeled "medical chamber" in the Fire Shrine. There were several other geonomes in there, most of them performing menial tasks and glancing curiously at the odd foursome that had just come in when they thought no one was looking. The chamber was fairly large and decorated with those same pillars as before, snakes curving gracefully up their structures with glittering ruby eyes. The room had a dusty sort of feel to it and a rather empty one. However, highly advanced Terran medical supplies and machines lay about. The room was incredibly modern. But as it was the room where any injured geonomes would be taken care of if very badly hurt, it was fairly inactive (since most of the geonomes had not been given any dangerous tasks in weeks).  
  
"Sir, does that . . . er . . . genome . . . need treatment?" a confused looking female geonome queried (she seemed fairly surprised to see a genome in the room).  
  
Garland snorted. "No, no . . . He's dead. Carry on," The geonome shrugged and retreated back to another corner of the room. Most of the servants in there were drifting as far away from Garland as possible. The room was only about as big as a small tavern and thus, did not leave much space for staying out of other people's conversations.  
  
"Er . . . Weren't we supposed to be burning Kuja's body?" Drakja inquired. Ummei paled somewhat as he stood loyally nearby. His previous actions remained nonexistent to his unsuspecting superiors.  
  
"Not yet," Garland muttered, gazing quietly at Kuja's limp form on the table. "Wait for him to actually die, first . . . I'm not about burning perfectly beautiful creations alive . . ."  
  
"But Master Garland that . . . that could take hours!" Drakja protested. Garland chuckled.  
  
"Surely you jest? Kuja's limit has almost completely taken over. He has mere minutes at the most," Garland heaved a tragic sigh. "It's such a shame . . . When I created you and my geonomes I was striving only for force. Powerful creatures that could raise Hell for me. I made sure, of course, that my geonomes remained beautiful," he leaned across the table and flicked a strand of hair from Drakja's eyes. "After all, the original Drakja was still a work of art . . . But Saishoja. Heh . . . Nothing could compare to Saishoja's beauty . . . Not even his fair mother, Isra," Garland's face darkened.  
  
"Saishoja was something of an enigma . . . All wanted him . . . All loved him. Except for his father who abandoned him when he was born. But that was during a warring age when handicapped children were typically thrown into rivers and drowned. But Saishoja didn't need his sight to be beautiful. When I studied him from afar I knew that if his eyes were cleared he would be more magnificent than the palest angel. So when I created Kuja – after working with dull, uninteresting genomes like Zidane and Mikoto – I strove only for beauty. I wanted Kuja to be so gorgeous that even the gods would gasp in awe at the sight of him . . . I think I achieved my goal, don't you?"  
  
Drakja didn't know what to say. He gulped, a knot forming in his throat. Garland continued, nonetheless.  
  
"Unfortunately, I was too wild in my selection of a soul. I figured the stronger the better. Sadly, it was the same mistake I first made with you and your people. So now, sadly, I must destroy this beautiful body I've created," Garland gazed fondly at Kuja, gently stroking the shimmering, flawless silver hair. "His genes were fused with the beautiful silver dragons of Terra . . . Kuja . . . heh . . . perfect,"  
  
Drakja looked away miserably. /I wish Kuja would just die already . . ./ he thought to himself. /This is making me sick . . ./.  
  
Garland sighed again. "When I placed the limit on Kuja's life it really quite saddened me. But after he Tranced . . . Oh, how glad I was that I'd done it. He was a walking time-bomb of destruction. See how he has meddled in my plans?"  
  
Drakja glanced back at Garland, a small smile on his face. "Once we're rid of him, we'll be home free, ne?"  
  
"Indeed," Garland chuckled. "With the body out of the way, the soul will be mine. See, some souls give you . . . special . . . powers. Once I have absorbed Kuja's soul, I will be able to communicate with the silver dragons like he and Saishoja could. And if I ever get a hold of Zidane's soul, some of the most unbelievable Trancing skills will be right within my grasp,"  
  
Drakja blushed. He couldn't tell Garland he'd accidentally lost Zidane's soul. Particularly after Triss had come right out and WARNED him that removing the Metsubo during the drawing of a soul would cause it to dissipate into the Mist and become irrecoverable. Garland would probably skin him alive if he found out. Garland's sightless eyes narrowed.  
  
". . . He's almost gone . . ." the Terran overlord gently brushed his fingers over Kuja's brow.  
  
"How much longer?" Drakja queried. He was eager at the prospect of finally having one of his worst enemies out of the way (after all, once Kuja was gone Zidane would slowly but surely suffer the same fate from the botched sucking of his soul). Garland smiled a rather ironic smile.  
  
". . . Well, since you were obviously too thick-headed to have noticed . . . Kuja stopped breathing about three minutes ago and he's had little to no vitals for almost HALF a minute . . . His heart's not beating, so it's only a matter of moments before the body's clinically dead . . ."  
  
Drakja blinked, staring down at Kuja's lifeless form. Boy, did he feel stupid . . . "Oh,"  
  
"So all that's left is for the rest of him to expire and we're done," Garland folded his arms across his chest, tapping a foot in agitation. Drakja gulped. He felt like something was wrong with all this . . . Something . . . Something wasn't right . . . Like there would be some horrible consequence for what was transpiring there in the Fire Shrine. But a movement somewhere near Kuja's side distracted Drakja.  
  
". . . Ummei . . . What ARE you doing . . .?"  
  
Ummei was DEFINITELY acting oddly. He was leaning lightly over Kuja and was – for WHATEVER reason – poking the lifeless sorcerer REPEATEDLY in the shoulder. Ummei seemed intent on something, as if one of these stabs was going to change something that the previous ones hadn't.  
  
Garland was peering at Ummei over the bridge of his crooked nose as if surveying a hideous slug lying pathetically at his feet. Drakja blushed, hurriedly excusing Ummei's actions.  
  
"Terribly sorry, Master Garland . . . Ummei, he . . . he has swings where he becomes dumber than usual and . . ."  
  
"No, no, I'm aware of that, Drakja," Garland cut in, staring intently at Ummei once more. "It was a flaw in his creation that caused a chemical imbalance before he received a soul . . ."  
  
Ummei poked Kuja again, frowning. Drakja still seemed highly embarrassed about his lackey. Garland, however, looked VERY interested and suddenly caught Ummei's hand from across the table. Ummei flinched, then slowly raised his emerald eyes to Garland's. When green eyes met frigid white, he realized, suddenly, what he'd been doing. Ummei gasped and wrenched his fingers from Garland's grasp before stumbling several steps away.  
  
"Ah, s-sir, I'm sorry!" Ummei choked. "I beg forgiveness for my inappropriate actions!"  
  
Drakja blanched. Those weren't the words of Ummei in a STUPID swing . . . Garland was catching on to this as well.  
  
"Ummei . . ." Ummei started upon hearing a name other than "Omega" or "Idiot." "Pray tell, WHY were you poking the Angel of Death just now?"  
  
The omega seemed unsure of what to say. He kept his eyes downcast in submission, his tail curled around his ankle nervously.  
  
"Because, sir . . . You told me Kuja was Barrier Transmigratory. I was curious as to whether or not one who is unconscious could still pass through solid objects. I hoped – though obviously my experiment did not herald success – that I would be able to pass my hand through him whilst he was in his expiring state . . ."  
  
"Stupid idiot!" Drakja suddenly barked. "How could Kuja POSSIBLY Barrier Transmigrate without a soul or conscious thought to TELL him to?!"  
  
"Shut up, Drakja,"  
  
Silence fell upon the room. Other geonomes within the chamber that had been "accidentally" listening in immediately fell quiet. Garland . . . Garland who so respected the replicates of Old Terra . . . had told his highest (since Kuja was dead) creation to shut up. Drakja seemed to stumble on his words.  
  
"Wh-wha . . . Why?"  
  
Garland was walking the perimeter of the metal table towards Ummei who shrunk away at the overlord's icy presence. Garland held an arm out behind himself towards Kuja's body. A faint light glowed and pulsed in his fingers, though no one was sure what it was for.  
  
"Ummei . . ." Garland spoke slowly, as if to a child. "Are you telling me if Kuja had a thought to tell him to pass through an object . . . he could?"  
  
Ummei gulped. "B-by all laws of physics . . . Ah . . . I don't see why not . . ."  
  
"Any thought? It doesn't have to be his own?"  
  
"A-as long as it sends a nerve signal then . . . then no, it doesn't have to be his own,"  
  
Drakja realized, finally, what Garland was doing as he spoke. That light glowing in his hand; washing faintly over Kuja's dying body . . . It was some kind of white magic spell. Drakja almost did a double-take. Moving with the pulse of light in Garland's hand, Kuja's chest rose and fell as if air was being forced into his lungs. Garland was keeping Kuja alive?! Why?!  
  
"So let me get this straight . . ." Garland's aged forehead was wrinkled in thought as he stared past Ummei. "If I, right now, GAVE Kuja the thought to pass through an object . . . then he would . . . DESPITE being unconscious,"  
  
"Y-yes . . ."  
  
"Drakja, put your hand on Kuja's shoulder," Garland spoke without turning to look at the geonome and without lowering his arm. Drakja frowned, confused, and reached down for the Angel of Death's shoulder. His fingers brushed over Kuja's trench-coat and then . . .  
  
"Oh my god . . ."  
  
They went right through. Drakja pulled his hand back as if he'd been bitten. Garland was looking sharply over his shoulder at this sight. A fanged grin was spreading across his face.  
  
"Ummei . . . You're a genius,"  
  
"I . . . I am?" Ummei looked confused. "What'd I do?"  
  
Garland clearly wasn't listening. "Drakja, I need Kuja alive. Could you . . ." his face fell. "Oh, that's right . . . You can't. Ugh, forget I asked. You wouldn't be able to do it if you tried,"  
  
"Do what?"  
  
Garland didn't respond. Drakja felt furious at the idea that there did, indeed, exist something that he wasn't capable of doing.  
  
"Okay," Garland hissed. "If my intuition is correct – and it almost always is – the second Angel of Death and his idiot comrades have managed to escape the prison. Well, heh, I'm going to have QUITE a surprise waiting for them . . . Just you wait,"  
  
"This is going to be SO much fun . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: Okay, last time I checked, Garland's idea of fun was NOT fun. I mean, he's a freaky old man who has nothing better to do than reconstruct dead planets and make pretty peoples (gomen, Kuja). Waha, when you guys see what Garland's up to your hatred level for him is going to SOOOOOOOAR!!! Garland . . . must . . . burn . . . One of these days I'm gonna go all 8- Bit Theater Black Mage on him and just Hadoken his ass all the way back to Corneria . . . or Elfland. Heh, gods only know what they'd do to him there (gets hysterical mental image of Garland hanging upside down over a vat of Mountain Dew: WAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Sticky . . .). Well, anyways, next chapter's taking us back to another location and then, er, back to the Fire Shrine either at the end or the beginning of the chapter after it. And then . . . IT'S THE FINAL BATTLE!!! I'm dead serious, it's THAT close. I mean, we're talking only a couple chapters before the final battle begins. I'd say three more chapters (give or take, ehe) before the finale fight. The final battle's going to be somewhat lengthy, though, because some other things are going to be revealed during it. Then it's just the results of the battle, a VERY short "fix the cliffhanger and make sure people know what happened" couple of paragraphs, and then the epilogue (that finishes off any info we didn't know, shows where everybody went, and also reveals the information that Kuja88 so beautifully figured out). So, yeah, it's coming . . . And if my web-comic isn't up by then, I'm going to post a poem or something as an after-epilogue bonus/filler with the link. So don't forget about me! Stay posted and on top of things! If you have update alerts and stuff, watch out for them! And if not, just keep checking fanfiction.net or look up this story once a week. JUST DON'T MISS MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!  
  
Okay, I'm done ^_^ Review and . . . review (a reviewer told me saying "read and review" at the end of a chapter is stupid because . . . well, you all already read it. And I'm too lazy to argue, lol). So just review. 'cause you already read this. Right? RIGHT?!!! 


	44. Mechanical Angel

A/N: Aha, I'm back Lol, reviews for the last chapter were so random! I had one reviewer say Garland was acting like a child, another saying he was acting like a bimbo (and the reviewer liked that!), two reviewers who both said "the end is coming" as their first sentence, another reviewer who fell off a cliff, and, of course, another saying Garland was an old fart and that I should give him a painful death and then the reviewer was going to stomp on his grave (yay!). And some were happy that Ummei finally did something. Yeah, me too, lol.  
  
But now the fun basically ends . . . Heehee. First of all, this chapter is creepy, sad, and I may wind up dead for it. Second of all, it has a rather graphic (and disgusting) scene that I enjoyed FAR too much for my sanity to be considered stable . . . And I'm sorry this one took a little longer than the last one but that's because I WAS WORKING ON A GUEST-COMIC FOR 8-BIT THEATER!!! So if it goes up (my one-page guest-comic strip, I mean), then I'll give you guys the link (though most of you probably know it already: nuklearpower.com). crosses finger Must . . . have . . . guest-comic . . . appear . . . on . . . disturbingly . . . funny . . . website . . . (second A/N in here is a rant!)  
  
Disclaimer: I may not own Final Fantasy, but since I own this fanfic I can do ANYTHING I WANT TO!!! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! kills Garland.

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"I have no feelings; I am a mere machine."  
  
Jarvis Lorry, "A Tale of Two Cities" (Charles Dickens)  
  
Zidane and the rest of the crew were being extremely cautious. It had all been too easy, their someday infamous escape from the dungeon. It wasn't like Garland to lock prisoners away in cells that could be opened with simple hair-clips and – to top it all off – not have a guard present in the dungeon. No, there was definitely something else going on . . .  
  
"It's got to be another trap . . ." Garnet whimpered, staying as close to Zidane as possible. "Garland knew we'd escape . . ."  
  
No one spoke as they crept down the dungeon hallway. Gods only knew what would await them once they crossed the threshold into the Fire Shrine.  
  
"Z-Zidane . . . What's that . . .?" Vivi had suddenly stopped walking and had his orb-like eyes fixed anxiously upon a dark room off to the side that all had failed to notice upon entrance, imprisonment, or exit. It was like a branch of the dungeon's rocky corridor had been tucked away into a separate jail that was nearly impossible to notice in the darkness. There was a faint grunting noise coming from within and the rustle of feathers . . . The crew froze.  
  
"I am NOT going to see what's in there," Lani crossed her arms huffily. "That could be where Garland keeps all the monsters he intended to unleash on us later . . ."  
  
"Lani's right . . ." Beatrix was glancing warily into the dark tunnel. "We don't know how far back that thing goes . . . We'd better just . . ."  
  
Zidane didn't hear what they'd "better just" because at that moment he felt a pressure so powerful within his mind that he nearly reeled. The thief dropped to his knees, eyes clenched tightly shut. He was fairly sure the others had rushed to his side, but he couldn't see them. There was a thunderous roaring that screamed within his head, blocking out all other sound. Zidane couldn't make out any words but he knew, deep down, that someone – or something – was trying to tell him something . . . telepathically.  
  
/Oh!/  
  
Zidane jumped to his feet, gasping. "Oh my god . . . No, that bastard wouldn't DARE!!!"  
  
And before the others could stop him, Zidane had plunged into the darkness.  
  
"Crap, where did he go?!"  
  
Garnet clutched nervously onto Steiner. "Oh . . .! Wh-what if something attacked him?!"  
  
The grunting and whining noises from earlier had stopped, sending the tunnel into a complete oblivion of silence besides the rushed footsteps of the crew.  
  
"Maybe it's quiet because whatever's in there is enjoying a nice Terran thief FEAST . . .!" Eiko sobbed.  
  
"Maybe you'd better shut up before I puke," Megan snapped. She gagged, shaking her head and looking slightly green. "Gah, we don't have time for this!"  
  
"Damn it, Zidane . . ." Beatrix whispered. "Your brother could be cremated any minute now . . .!"  
  
"I-is it just me or is it getting lighter?" Freya's nose twitched as she squinted into the gloom.  
  
"It is," Fratley affirmed, frowning. "We must be near the end,"  
  
The corridor got steadily brighter until finally, at long last, the tunnel ended. At the back was, sadly, more cells. But only one of them had anything in it and that was where the strange, eerie source of light was coming from.  
  
Zidane was standing in front of the bars, gently patting the creature's head. The monster nuzzled him softly, whining. When the others had come up nervously behind the genome they gasped.  
  
"It's one of the Terran silver dragons!"  
  
Zidane closed his eyes, running his fingers through the beast's shimmering ivory feathers. It had managed to get its long neck through the bars and was growling softly as it rubbed Zidane's cheek with its muzzle. The dragon's great silver wings rustled with restlessness and agitation. Zidane kept his eyes tightly shut.  
  
". . . It's not just any silver dragon . . . It's Kuja's. It probably came here in search of its master and got captured by Garland . . ."  
  
"Zidane, there's nothing we can do for it . . ." Garnet looked sympathetic. "And if we don't hurry your brother's going to be officially dead,"  
  
"I know . . ." Zidane sighed, pulling away from the beast. "But we WILL come back for it later, right?"  
  
"Of course,"  
  
Zidane gave the dragon another pat and then turned around, signaling for the others to follow him. Zidane hadn't felt Kuja "die" yet, so he knew they still had a little time. When Kuja really did die . . . Zidane would know. But Zidane still felt that faint life-force within himself . . . Kuja's life-force that he'd become bound to since the moment he and his brother had rescued one another in the Iifa Tree. Yes, there was still hope . . . And he hadn't sensed Mikoto's death yet, either. There was still time . . . And in this case, time was everything . . .  
  
Now out of the tunnel, the crew stood before the doors that lead out of the dungeon. For some strange reason, no one was opening them.  
  
"Well? Go on . . .!" Eiko stared expectantly at the others. No one moved.  
  
"Why aren't we leaving . . .?" Steiner queried.  
  
"Isn't it obvious?" Zidane sniffed. "There's GOT to be something on the other side . . . There's a trap, believe me,"  
  
"Well, then we'll just have to leap the obstacles, won't we?" Fratley looked disapproving of the other's inactivity.  
  
"Oh, for crying out loud!" Beatrix shoved her way through her comrades and gripped the doors. They creaked open like a death-rattle. Then, with a great heave, the general threw them open . . .  
  
The floor must have dropped out on the crew right then. Or at least that's what it felt like. Everything they'd expected, everything they'd known would await them on the other side . . . It was all wrong . . .  
  
The main chamber of the Fire Shrine – so enormous in size that one could have held the Festival of the Hunt right there inside the room – seemed empty at first. No monsters, no bombs, no traps . . . Not even a geonome.  
  
Except for one person . . .  
  
A human-like figure stood within the center of the colossal hall. His back was to the crew, hooded and cloaked in simple beige traveling robes. The person was not moving.  
  
"H-hello?!" Beatrix called out tentatively. There was no response.  
  
"Who in the world IS that?!" Garnet wondered aloud. "Huh? Zidane, what's wrong?"  
  
Zidane was shivering, his hands over his mouth as he stared, horrified, at the creature in the chamber. Garnet followed his gaze and then let out a sob of fear as well.  
  
A silvery white tail slithered out from beneath the cloak, curling upon the floor. The thin figure turned his head slightly, revealing several strands of ivory hair drifting loosely out of the hood. The one visible eye was white and empty . . .  
  
"K-Kuja?! But how – ?!"  
  
Kuja didn't move from his spot. His eyes, though sightless, were locked upon the crew. Nobody knew what to do.  
  
"This is HIGHLY unusual . . ." Steiner retorted.  
  
"I-I thought he was dead!" Eiko looked demandingly at Zidane. "Why did Garland leave him?"  
  
"He doesn't have a soul . . ." Zidane whispered, eyes disbelieving. "He couldn't possibly have the strength to stand in his near-death state . . ."  
  
Zidane blinked as he felt something brush past him. He froze as Megan suddenly pushed through the crew, walking – as if in a trance – towards Kuja. There was something strange in her eyes. Like she was seeing something they weren't . . .  
  
"M-Megan, come back here . . ." Garnet stared anxiously at the young Summoner's retreating back. Megan didn't make a move to obey the order. She kept walking . . .  
  
Of course, Zidane found this almost as unusual as the fact that Kuja was somehow standing right there in front of them. When Garland had come to take Kuja away, Megan had shown no emotion of sadness or regret. Indeed, it seemed nothing had changed with her (and why should it have?). The only emotion other than fear she'd shown in the dungeons was desperation when they'd removed Mikoto. Though too afraid to speak to the genome, Megan had still shown that she cared for her. But Kuja . . . no, when Garland came she didn't make a sound. Megan's hatred for Kuja seemed matched only by her hatred for Garland . . . Yet here she was, walking towards the ruins of a man as if she was drawn to his very scent . . .  
  
Kuja remained motionless, watching Megan carefully out of one blind eye. He peered over his shoulder as if scrutinizing her. Megan was clutching a fist near her chest, whimpering softly. Familiar . . . this was all so familiar . . .  
  
/Flash/  
  
"He's a Genome . . . and thus, has no soul . . ." So empty, the eyes of the little boy. No thoughts, no emotions . . . Not until the blood of the dragon stained his hands.  
  
/Flash/  
  
/Everything Demeter ever showed me . . ./ Megan thought wildly as she approached Kuja in the manner one would use to sneak past a coiled snake. /She knew this would happen . . . She wanted me to see . . . Wanted me to know . . . This was her warning . . . Only I can tell them, now . . ./  
  
Megan was right behind Kuja. She stared up at him, fear dancing in her mahogany eyes. Kuja said nothing. A great rush of breath passed through the chamber. Then Kuja's face seemed to flash and a hideous smirk twisted and screwed up his features. Zidane reacted a second too late.  
  
"Megan, WATCH OUT!!!"  
  
Kuja whipped around, fierce tendrils of energy spiraling through his body. Megan cried out, the sheer power of the sorcerer knocking her to the floor. Kuja's arms were raised, a Flare Star glowing and swirling within the palms of his hands. He was baring down above her, Kuja's power crushing her body. His hood blew off, his silver hair billowing out behind him. Megan slammed her eyes shut, whimpering as she suppressed a scream of pain. Her lip was bleeding. Kuja was grinning madly. This was the end . . . The cries of the crew were drowned out in the agonizing fear of death . . . And then . . .  
  
"Stop,"  
  
A hush fell upon the chamber. Kuja did not hesitate or make a sound. The Flare Star vanished and the sorcerer's arms dropped limply to his sides. The winds died, Kuja's hair settled back down somewhat wildly in his eyes. Then he looked straight ahead as if suddenly deciding Megan wasn't worth his time.  
  
Zidane clapped his hands over his mouth again, unsure of whether he was relieved or twice as frightened as before. Then he looked up to address whomever had spoken.  
  
Garland stood at another entrance into the chamber, a small smile on his face. His arms were folded across his chest and Zidane noticed – bile rising in his throat as he did so – that the red light pulsating within Garland's armor was much brighter than before.  
  
"Aha . . ." the Terran overlord tapped his chin thoughtfully, gazing at the unfortunate heroes. "I see you've met my latest creation . . . What do you think of him?" Garland began to walk forward, heading slowly in Kuja's direction.  
  
"C-creation . . .?" Zidane was trying to keep his voice steady. "What the hell is THAT supposed to mean?! I-it's another replication?!"  
  
Garland was laughing as he walked, his voice echoing and flooding the chamber. Megan stumbled to her feet as Garland approached, backing up fearfully until she hit the wall; her glasses askew.  
  
"Replication?!" Garland burst into hysterics as if the word were some kind of joke. "Why, why in the world would I make a replication when I have a PERFECTLY stable body right here?"  
  
He had finally reached Kuja and was standing beside him, smirking. Kuja made no motion to move away from his creator. He didn't even acknowledge the old man's presence.  
  
"What the HELL did you do to him?!" Beatrix demanded. She was clutching her fingers into fists with unchecked fury. Garland was so HORRIBLE!!!  
  
"Why, I made him better, of course," was Garland's simple response. "Isn't he perfect? He has all the makings of a flawless being: beauty, power . . . obedience. I could make him do anything I wanted . . ."  
  
Kuja gazed sadly forward, his eyes seeing nothing. Garland gently lifted a strand of Kuja's hair, twisting it around his finger. "You should be grateful, Zidane . . . When I have taken your soul, you will be together with your brother . . . forever . . ."  
  
Zidane felt like puking. That was almost exactly the same thing Drakja had said to him while trying to TAKE Zidane's soul. That was when it dawned on the thief . . . Garland had said "when I take your soul." But Zidane's soul was lost. Drakja had failed in his attempt at using the Metsubo and the cost was that Zidane's soul was fading into the Mist. Did that mean . . . Garland didn't KNOW what Drakja had done?! The statement was almost as pathetic as it was hilarious. Drakja, being the wonderful, faithful, LOYAL servant that he was, hadn't even TOLD Garland what he'd done in a feeble attempt at saving his own skin! Zidane would have laughed if the situation hadn't been so serious.  
  
"Shut up," the blonde genome snapped, reaching towards his belt where the set of twin-daggers lay. "I'm gonna cut you down, Garland, I'm NOT even kidding . . ."  
  
Garland chuckled, his eyes flickering as he watched the rest of the crew hurriedly drawing their weapons. Amarant was cracking his knuckles almost gleefully.  
  
". . . I wouldn't do that if I were you . . ." the Terran overlord smiled secretively.  
  
"Oh, and why the hell not?" Zidane queried, hissing. "All's fair, Garland. You screwed with me one too many times . . . Now's my payback . . ."  
  
"Ah, indeed, all is fair!" Garland unraveled Kuja's hair from his black- gloved finger and took a step towards the crew. "You don't seem to get it yet . . . I SPARED your brother's life, Zidane! On his last breath I gave him back his pathetic, useless existence! The only thing I asked for in return was complete and utter control of him. After all, I AM the one who made him in the first place . . ."  
  
"Do you think I give a damn?!" Zidane's teeth were bared. He was shaking with sweltering fury. "Kuja is not a PET! He's my brother, not your . . . your ANIMAL!!!"  
  
"Oh, Zidane, you are so foolish . . ." Garland mocked. The others were fidgeting nervously. Zidane wasn't the only one that sensed a trap . . . "You do not seem to understand what I mean by my saying I gave your brother back his life,"  
  
/Flash/  
  
Your soul was given to you . . . Therefore, it can be taken away . . .  
  
/Flash/  
  
"I gave him life!" Garland cried. "And thus, I can take it back as easily as a snap of my fingers!"  
  
"You're bluffing!" Beatrix screamed suddenly, taking a step forward. Her eye was wild with rage. "We don't believe you!"  
  
"Speak for yourself . . ." Lani whimpered.  
  
"Oh, so you think I'm lying, do you?" Garland queried. "Well then, I'll just have to prove myself, won't I . . ." Garland grinned. "Kuja, kill yourself,"  
  
It happened in a flash. Before the others could react, Kuja had reached into his cloak and wrenched the Masamune from its sheathe. He brought his arm swiftly across his body and the sword across his neck. He remained unflinching, eyes empty. The blade pressed into his flesh. Zidane was crying out his name in horror. Kuja was SERIOUSLY going to kill himself! There was a trickle of blood . . . And then . . .  
  
"Kuja, stop,"  
  
He did. The sword slipped from Kuja's hands and hit the ground with a dull clang. Kuja stood there like an empty puppet. Invisible strings seemed to be attached to him, connecting his soulless body to Garland.  
  
"Do you see?" the mad-man smirked. "Kuja's life rests in my hands . . . And my powers are the only things keeping that limit on his life from coming this very second. If you kill me, he will die instantly. I could even snap my fingers or break my concentration and Kuja would die . . ." Garland's eyes gleamed as he gazed upon his first Angel of Death. Kuja stared forward sadly as if he knew some injustice was being done upon him. Unfortunately, what appeared to be a miserable expression was really just an empty, emotionless countenance. Kuja wasn't "thinking" anything at all . . .  
  
"This isn't the end, Garland!" Beatrix shouted determinedly. She seemed to find this whole thing quite irritating. "The real Kuja wouldn't do this! Something in him will disrupt your plans!"  
  
"Hey, yeah!" Eiko yelled. "When Kuja transformed and the souls took over his body he still couldn't kill his brother! A shield went up around Zidane because Kuja was still inside there and knew the difference between right and wrong!"  
  
". . . Well said . . ." Steiner blinked, astonished at the nine-year-old's simplistic words.  
  
Garland laughed hysterically, not unlike a young child who has just discovered that his slice of cake is bigger than everyone else's at the party.  
  
"There's only one . . . little . . . problem with your plan," Garland sniggered.  
  
"Oh, and what's that?!" Lani shifted her axe. Garland grinned maniacally.  
  
"HE DOESN'T HAVE A SOUL!!! THIS ISN'T EVEN ZIDANE'S BROTHER!!! Kuja, KILL THEM!!!"  
  
It happened in a flash. Kuja lunged forward fiercely. Megan was the closest thing to him and he suddenly changed directions as if the scent of her fear gave him his path. She shrieked as the sorcerer slapped her out of the way and then leapt into the air, ready for the final, crushing blow.  
  
"Don't you dare!!!" Zidane flew towards his brother, daggers raised. He slashed at Kuja and the warlock, without so much as a blink, dove out of the way and landed on all fours, skidding. Then he threw himself forward for the attack, teeth bared as if he were a vicious animal. Garland watched all this unflinchingly. He seemed to be enjoying himself. The others were coming now, weapons at the ready.  
  
"Don't even bother!" Garland called after them. "You're only going to make matters worse for yourself!"  
  
They weren't listening. To them, these words meant nothing. But the unfortunate crew was soon going to realize soon that Garland, the master of deception, had honed and carved this plan to perfect, marble perfection.  
  
Kuja drove towards the crew, Masamune in hand. He pulled back the sword and made a clean, unusually precise (even for Kuja) slice in Amarant's direction. Amarant reacted swiftly, pulling back his claws. Garland sneered. He knew EXACTLY what was coming . . . Time to show those little mischief-makers exactly what trash-can they'd gotten themselves into . . .  
  
Amarant grabbed Kuja's arm so quickly that most had blinked and missed it. Muscles trembling, he pushed Kuja's sword away from his own body, snarling. There were several "oohs" and "aahs."  
  
"You go, Amarant!" Garnet gasped.  
  
The bandit then used his other hand to sink his claws deep into Kuja's unsuspecting forearm. Blood squirted from the warlock's wrist, splattering across the cold, stone floor. Megan buried her face in her hands, a sob of distress escaping her lips. Eiko pretty much summed up the whole situation right then and there:  
  
"Eew . . .!"  
  
But Garland was still smiling. Any second now they'd realize the truth. Yes, then they'd be sorry . . . And their unrealistic confidence would probably evaporate on the spot . . .  
  
Kuja snarled, leaning in towards Amarant. The claws were still gouged into his flesh. Amarant looked somewhat disgusted.  
  
"What's the matter . . .?" the red-haired man queried almost nervously (if that was possible for Amarant). "Why aren't you attacking me . . .?"  
  
Kuja smirked. It was the first emotion to caress his face since Garland had revealed him (other than his instinct-induced expressions while fighting). The smirk sent a chill over the entire Fire Shrine. Even distant geonomes, wandering about doing menial tasks as they awaited Garland's orders, sensed it. Some even stopped and sniffed the air, frowning.  
  
/That's not Kuja smirking . . ./ Zidane realized, frozen on the spot. /He can't possibly show emotion because he's just a soulless shell . . . That smile . . . Is Garland smiling THROUGH him . . ./.  
  
The thought was so horrible, so wretched, that it caused all present (even Amarant and Lani) to shiver. Garland was sneering at them . . . through Kuja . . .  
  
But why?  
  
Unfortunately, it soon became clear . . .  
  
Kuja, still grinning, bared his teeth and then – without a SINGLE show of pain – tore his arm straight through Amarant's. Every female on the team (other than Beatrix) screamed to high holy Hell. Megan stared at Kuja's ruined arm, eyes the size of saucers.  
  
"Oh . . . Oh my god . . ." With a gasp, the sadly phobic Summoner slumped over on the ground; passed out.  
  
Kuja had pushed the shocked Amarant violently to the ground and was preparing some sort of magic in his hand when Garland gave an almost relieving order:  
  
"Kuja, stop,"  
  
Kuja blinked and his face once again became empty. His eyes clouded over and he straightened himself, unmoving and silent, tall above Amarant's defensive form. They could see Kuja's arm better now and STILL it caused them to want to retch. Rather than sliding Amarant's claws out of his flesh by pulling back, he'd simply wrenched his arm to the side, allowing the claws to nearly saw his entire arm off! Massive, gaping wounds tore through Kuja's skin, revealing bone and tissue and vein where the very innards of his arm were hanging wide open. There were even gaps in his muscle where one could see directly through Kuja's arm and out the other side.  
  
Garland chuckled, watching the blood splashing tearfully to the floor. Then he glanced meaningfully at the crew.  
  
"Did you like that?" he queried innocently. "Look at him, the poor, stupid thing. He's gone completely white from blood loss yet STILL he's standing. I do believe I've made my point . . ."  
  
"Wh-what in the name of Bahamut are you trying to show us?!" Beatrix shrieked, shaking uncontrollably as she stared at Kuja.  
  
"Don't you get it yet?!" Garland shouted, not a hint of annoyance in his voice. "I thought it was fairly obvious . . ."  
  
"Get to the point already!" Zidane cried, his eyes stinging. Garland shrugged.  
  
"Fine. As I just demonstrated for you all, if I tell Kuja to fight, he – will – fight. He won't STOP fighting. He will do ANYTHING he can to continue fighting, even at the cost of his own life. He can't JUDGE, do you understand that?! He can't THINK like that! So instead, he fights like a cornered animal. Even if you tore his very bowels from his belly, he would NOT stop fighting until – he – was – dead. So, basically, one of two events could transpire if you attempted to battle Kuja: one, he could die by your blade. You could simply fight him and win. Then he'd be dead. Easy. But the OTHER option is MUCH more fun to watch . . . You see, the longer you fight him, the longer you let him kill himself. As you just saw, fighting for him is suicide. He feels pain, but doesn't register it. It's there, but he ignores it. He only cares about killing EVERYTHING he sees. If you continue to fight him, you could literally EXHAUST him to death! As I said, he won't stop no matter what! Pain means nothing to him,"  
  
"Y-you're SICK!" Garnet clapped her hands over her mouth.  
  
"No, just bored," Garland responded honestly. "Kuja, get over here . . ."  
  
Kuja turned around slowly and walked back towards his master like a puppet whose strings have gone lax. His head drooped and blood dribbled on the floor behind him, leaving a smeary red trail. When he had come close enough, Garland seized Kuja's chin roughly in his hand and lifted it so that he could peer into Kuja's face. He turned the warlock's head side to side, inspecting him intently, then pulled back.  
  
"Hmm, you're fine . . ." he raised an arm and muttered some sort of white magic spell in Ancient Terran. The torn muscles and tissue of Kuja's arm began to twist and reshape, bones cracking and mending together, skin growing back over areas where skin had not even been present anymore. The gaping holes sealed and vanished. Not a scar remained on Kuja's perfect, pale flesh. Garland nodded, satisfied.  
  
". . . Kuja . . ." Zidane whispered, staring helplessly at his brother. Garland was laughing, cupping Kuja's cheek.  
  
"My perfect angel . . . So beautiful and fair . . . My Dark Messenger . . . the Messenger of Chaos . . . My Angel of Death. When Saishoja is mine, then I shall make you one with me as well . . . And then I will have enough power to assimilate Gaia and Terra . . . And rule them both . . ."  
  
"You can't do this!" Freya shouted, green eyes flashing. "You'll kill us all!"  
  
"Precisely!" Garland exclaimed. "I'm glad you see what I'm aiming for, then!" He turned to address his new-found slave. "You know, Kuja, you caused some AWFUL problems for me back in Alexandria . . . You battled off my geonomes, attacked one of my prized ships with one of my OTHER prized ships, and interfered in my collecting of souls. I think you owe me a great big apology for all that hassle you caused me, hmm?" Kuja stared vacantly at the floor. Garland smirked. "You are going to go with my geonomes now, fighting WITH them, not against them. And you will KILL every non-geonome creature that you come across. ANY living being that does not possess Drakja's scent will be disposed of. You will CLEANSE Gaia of its . . . of its FILTH! Do you understand?" Garland lifted Kuja's chin slightly, staring at him with an almost loving expression on his face.  
  
Zidane was growling. "D-don't touch him!" Garland peered at Zidane amusedly.  
  
"Oh, don't worry . . . You're next . . ."  
  
As if in response to this threat, Zidane's knees suddenly gave out on him. He felt that lightness, like a vacuum was forming in his chest. He slumped over and clutched onto Garnet's shoulder, keeping himself standing with his eyes clenched shut as he waited for the weakness to pass. Garnet cried out but he waved her away. His time . . . His time was running out . . .  
  
Rather unfortunately, Garland had not been watching at that moment and missed the entire spectacle. If he had seen it, it was more-than-likely he would have become suspicious and realized what Drakja had done . . . Instead, he was facing Kuja, explaining his mission to him.  
  
"I have your Silver Dragon for you to ride," Garland intoned with the air of one who is showing a new driver the latest model of an airship. "I dare say you can still ride him," The Terran overlord snapped his fingers and a large stone wall at the back of the room churned and rumbled open, issuing a cloud of red dust into the chamber. At least six geonomes struggled inside, grasping and yanking the chains of a harnessed and extremely aggravated Silver Dragon. Kuja, who normally would have run up to his faithful companion and caressed it, only stared with about as much interest as a paper doll.  
  
When the dragon had been forcefully subdued and half-dragged, half-kicked over to Kuja, it made a clucking noise of joy at the sight of him, stretching and rustling its wings almost gleefully. The two hadn't seen each other in over three and a half years.  
  
"Alright Kuja, you know what you have to do . . ." Garland waved his slave away irritably and Kuja, without so much as a nod, placed his delicate hands on the nape of the dragon's neck and hoisted himself up and onto the beast's back. But upon landing on the creature, the dragon suddenly became restless and stared up at Kuja out of the corner of one eye with a wary expression.  
  
/It knows . . ./ Zidane thought in his near-exhaustion. /The dragon knows that's not his master . . ./.  
  
But it didn't matter. As soon as Kuja tugged the dragon's reins, the creature lumbered forward towards the open door of the Fire Shrine. Kuja vanished with it. Garland waited patiently for them to disappear beyond the threshold, then glanced, shrugging, at his nearby enemies. With a wave, he and the geonomes evaporated.  
  
And this left the crew all alone, silent and shaking with fear . . . awaiting their own demise . . .

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Drakja was trembling as he stood in the empty room of the Fire Shrine. The chamber was almost completely undecorated. No pillars lined the walls, no pictures or words had been carved into any surfaces. Drakja had come in to check for any stray geonomes and had found none. Then a mysterious cold had overtaken him and now he was frozen to the spot, shivering.  
  
"Wh-what is this feeling . . .?" the geonome rasped, hugging himself tightly. It had all come so suddenly . . .  
  
/Flash/  
  
"You don't understand me! You don't feel my pain!"  
  
"No! No! Please, no!"  
  
"How COULD you?!"  
  
"Lick the blood from your sword, heathen! Lick it, revel in it, taste the coppery bitterness of his heart!"  
  
"No . . . How could . . . I . . .?"  
  
/Flash/  
  
Drakja gasped. "S-Saishoja . . .! Come out! I know you're in here!!"  
  
There was a great wind within the chamber. Drakja's hair billowed in his face, his trench-coat whipping wildly. The cold disappeared, replaced by a thick yet invisible fog within the chamber. Then he appeared steadily from the air, coming as if out of a mist.  
  
"You've become very sensitive to my presence . . . Drakja . . ."  
  
The young geonome gaped idiotically at the newcomer. If he hadn't known better, he would have said it was Kuja. But Kuja was no more. Kuja was just an empty shell under the control of his master. The real Kuja was in the form of a phantom, slowly becoming a forgotten shadow in the dungeons of the Fire Shrine. This new figure's hair was longer. The shimmering strands of silver – twined into a thick braid – brushed the floor. And no feathers sprouted from his part. But where this man – so like Kuja in appearance – should have had eyes, there was only a thick black cloth; a blindfold.  
  
"S-Saishoja!"  
  
"Yes, that is my name . . ." Saishoja mocked, smiling faintly as if it wasn't terribly out of the ordinary for men who have been dead for centuries to appear out of thin air in the middle of a chamber. "I must say, Drakja, you are quite a magnet for danger . . ."  
  
"You . . .!" Drakja pointed a trembling finger at Saishoja, backing up towards the wall. "Why – ?!"  
  
Saishoja smirked. "Yes? I'm waiting . . ."  
  
Drakja choked. "Wh-when I was battling the second Angel of Death . . . Y- you saved me! Why?!"  
  
Saishoja stepped lightly towards Drakja, his white robe brushing the floor. The badge on his chest flashed, the same pitch-fork symbol as Drakja's, whose was turned upside-down and in the opposite direction of his enemy's.  
  
". . . You are a fool . . ." was all the phantom said. "You think you are something special . . . You think you have free reign to prance around wherever you want . . . But you have a job to do, my dear Drakja. And I'm not going to let you die until you've done it . . ."  
  
"Wh-what's that . . .?"  
  
"Where is Kuja's soul?"  
  
Drakja gulped, noting that Saishoja's previously light-hearted tone had become ominous. "Wh-why should I tell you?!"  
  
Saishoja vanished and reappeared directly in front of Drakja with a snap. "You will tell me now,"  
  
Drakja knew he was in trouble. If this actually WERE Kuja, he could have just whipped out a weapon and turned the man into mincemeat. But this was SAISHOJA. Saishoja was just a soul; a spirit. And there was nothing you could do to them . . .  
  
"H-he's being held by Garland . . . And you can't have him!"  
  
"Oh, but I can . . ." Saishoja whispered, moving in real close to Drakja. Though his eyes were shrouded by black cloth, Drakja could feel Saishoja's blind gaze piercing him through the folds. "You see, my dear Drakja, the thing that you don't understand is: Kuja's soul belongs to me . . . By all rights . . . it's mine . . ."  
  
"Wh-what? How?!"  
  
Saishoja grasped Drakja suddenly by the chin, moving in so close that they were nose to nose. "Drakja . . . I'm not here to kill you . . . I don't WANT to kill you . . . Seeing your blood-strewn corpse would not please me, only make me sick. The only one here who's going to die is Garland . . . What he did to me – to us – is unforgivable. He took it away from me . . . And I'm not going to rest until I have it back . . . I don't care whether it is by my hand or someone else's . . . Garland will DIE before this little . . . rendezvous . . . is over," Saishoja's voice had become lethally sharp. "I rescued you because YOU would have rescued ME . . . at least, one upon a time . . . I don't want you to be killed. The only one that I want to see dead is Garland . . . And believe me, I will make SURE it happens . . ."  
  
He brushed Drakja's cheek with his own as if nuzzling him affectionately (perhaps even lovingly). Drakja noticed that for a dead-man, Saishoja was frighteningly warm. And then the spirit was gone, leaving Drakja with only his thoughts and his fears to sustain him . . .  
  
A/N: Okay, I like Saishoja. I typically don't like original characters in fanfictions (which is why I made sure my story centered around the characters of Final Fantasy IX) but I can't help but love Saishoja. He's so . . . I dunno . . . otherworldly. I mean, he's blind but can see (through a blind-fold, even!), he's dead but still roaming, he can walk through walls, talk to dragons, has REALLY long hair, he's good at swords and magic, and on top of all that he has HIGHLY impressive morals (he's doesn't even want to kill Drakja!). He's nifty Ah, and the plot continues to thicken, ne? There's something Garland took from Saishoja that's keeping him rooted on Gaia . . . what could it be? glances significantly at Kuja88 hoping he/she is catching onto the plot (though I don't expect ANYONE to figure this out) Okay, it's decided. Garland needs a lobotomy. Or a head transplant. Or just a good dose of STAB TIME!!! What a jerk! How dare he! Of course, I had nothing to do with this . . . glances around nervously  
  
Okay, time to rant First order of business. I saw "Van Helsing." Okay, I don't care who liked it and who didn't, I'm HIGHLY recommending the movie RIGHT NOW! Okay, so the graphics weren't a master-piece . . . WHO CARES?! Whoever played Dracula was AMAZING!!! If you haven't seen the movie, I am telling you to go see it RIGHT – NOW!  
  
Next ginormous (shut up, I'm telling you I've been reading too much 8-Bit Theater) bit of info:  
  
IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE NEW IMAGES FROM "FINAL FANTASY VII: ADVENT CHILDREN" YET THEN YOU – SHOULD – BE – A – SHAMED – OF – YOUR – SELF! New images were just released on adventchildren.net of NEW CHARACTERS!!! First off, we now are almost positive we know the names of the three new silver- haired guys: Loz seems to be the short-haired one that does the cool Matrix- style fighting, Kadaj would be the first one with the shoulder-length hair and the WORLD'S COOLEST GREEN EYES (he's a Sephiroth clone, let's face it all you "Sephiroth has nothing to do with the story" peoples) and Yazoo is the one with the REALLY long silver hair and the gun that looks like Kuja (the more feminine of the three and, thus, my personal favorite). Characters that we can now see are Tifa doing her classic high-kick (and still with the world's largest Gongagas I have ever seen, lol), a shot of Yuffie looking very young and adorable, the backs of Reno's and Rude's heads (yay, the Turks are gonna be in the movie!!!), some new footage of Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo (if those really are their names) and . . . and . . . oh, god, I can't say it! I almost hyperventilated when I saw it dies . . . VINCENT VALENTINE'S NAME HAS BEEN CONFIRMED AND THEY HAD A FULL CLOSE-UP OF HIS FAAAAAAAAACE!!! screams He has the most gorgeous god damn red eyes, the bandana, the hair, and . . . and . . . and . . . and . . . HE'S SO FUCKING PARDON MY FRENCH HOT!!! keels over GO CHECK OUT THE PICTURES, DAMN IT!!!  
  
Okay, I'm done sweatdrop  
  
Oh, and my dad was reading this and all the sudden he made this sudden noise that kinda reminded me of a squirrel getting run over by a car. I asked him what the heck happened and he said "I can't believe that guy tore his arm straight through those claws!" Then I laughed . . . Heehee. 


	45. I Am the Hydra

A/N: Aha, gomen nasai . . . This is possibly the longest gap between updates that we've seen yet. I suck. Yes, I know that already. And I left us in such a crappy spot last chapter too, what with the whole "Garland's about to nuke Alexandria" and the "Kuja's just been turned into a puppet . . . slave . . . thing" and, and, and yeah, all that and a bag of . . . er, Gysahl Pickles, too . . . (yay for the Pickle Lady!). But I definitely made up for it in this chapter with length. It's another long chapter, woot! And this one's very action-packed and fun. Not to mention there's lots of blood. You need lots of blood. Lots. Buckets. At least every once in awhile . . . shifty eyes. And some forgotten characters return. Did I mention the blood? . . . . . . . . . . . Shutting up now . . . . . . . . . . . .  
  
Disclaimer: No puedo tener Final Fantasy. Necesito mucho dinero. Final Fantasy es para los hombres de Square. No es mío. Por qué? Porque la idea era crear a algo muy estupido. Yo sé que soy numero uno . . . Ellos no ya saben . . . Soy mejor . . .!!!! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!  
  
............................  
  
"Loving is letting go . . ."  
  
– Unknown  
  
"Oh man! What'll we do, what'll we do?!" Eiko looked frantic, eyes wide with panic. "Oh, they're gonna destroy Alexandria!" She whined and danced in her spot as if she was bursting out of her skin.  
  
"We have to go back . . ." Beatrix whispered, her one eye faraway and deep in thought.  
  
". . . No . . . We can't . . ." Zidane bit his lip in desperation. "Th- that means . . . That means killing Kuja . . . You know I can't . . ."  
  
"Zidane, we have to . . .!" Garnet clutched onto his hands, tears running afresh down her pale cheeks. "M-my people! YOUR people! Gaia . . . Everyone . . . Kuja wouldn't have wanted you to back down now for HIS sake!"  
  
"No, it's not that . . ." Zidane was staring into the distance as if he were watching something behind his own eyes. "It's just . . . Demeter said Kuja gave himself up so that there would still be a chance of SAVING him . . . That way there would still be a way to bring him back to life . . . But if we kill him . . . Then it was all for nothing! Then he gave himself up . . . for NOTHING!"  
  
Beatrix suddenly whipped in Zidane's direction, looking stern. "Then don't kill him," she said simply. "Avoid him, if you must, until we figure out what to do,"  
  
"But if he attacks me – "  
  
"Then you will find an alternative, will you not? Won't your love for him keep him alive?" Beatrix raised an eyebrow knowingly. Zidane fell silent. /Perhaps . . ./.  
  
"Come on, let's go, then!" Lani shouted. "Alexandria's not just gonna save itself, ya know!"  
  
"True, true . . ." the others were nodding, already heading for the airship. Garland had not had it sabotaged (though he knew of its whereabouts) most likely because he was luring them to Alexandria anyways . . .  
  
But on the way through the labyrinth of the Fire Shrine, the unsuspecting crew met a rather . . . unusual . . . specter.  
  
"Greetings," She seemed to come from nowhere. The team halted down a deserted passageway, paling in surprise. The small creature seemed to take some delight in their fear and giggled.  
  
"Ah, so sorry to frighten you all," (there was a definite note of sarcasm in her tone) "I only appear before you now to complete my part as a, ah, neutral, I guess you could say,"  
  
Zidane's eyes were narrowed suspiciously. "You're not working for Garland?"  
  
"I am. But neutral means I work for you, as well,"  
  
"And you're not a spy,"  
  
"I spy only for myself . . ."  
  
"I don't trust her," said Steiner. A hush fell upon the corridor. The small, oddly robed girl chuckled.  
  
"You don't trust me, eh? Then I guess you don't feel it necessary to hear the TOP SECRET and HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL AND IMPORTANT TO SAVING THE WORLD advice that I have . . ."  
  
"Steiner, shut up . . .!" Freya was looking impatient. "Let's here what this thing's got to say,"  
  
Ignoring the rather impolite title of the "thing," the creature spoke. "When I say that I was the one that created the poisoned bullets that blinded the first Angel of Death, I do, indeed, expect much anger and hatred from you all,"  
  
The crew radiated quite a bit of anger and hatred at that moment. Zidane, teeth bared, looked ready to hurl himself at the creature.  
  
". . . You . . .! It was YOU!"  
  
"Zidane, shh!" Garnet quickly pulled her fiancé back, trying rather in vain to quiet him.  
  
"However . . ." the young girl continued to talk. "I also expect quite a bit of doubt from you all when I say that I did it in the best interests of everyone present . . ."  
  
"And what the HELL is THAT supposed to mean?!" Now Garnet was finally beginning to seem pissed. Vivi was shaking his head.  
  
". . . Ridiculous . . ." he murmured. The creature was most likely smirking, but her face was so shrouded in darkness that none could see it.  
  
"Destiny works in . . . mysterious ways . . . I knew that the proper outcome to the adventure could not be achieved unless I delivered the bullets to Garland. But now you all must play your parts as well. This is all I'm going to say . . ." the anomaly lowered her voice dramatically:  
  
". . . Don't judge a single action by how it appears . . . Everything that happens until this is over was done for a reason . . . And if that means taking or saving a life, so be it. And if that means watching SOMEONE ELSE do it, so be it . . . Use your best judgment. Decide what was prejudged and what wasn't . . . Only then will the pieces begin to fit together . . ."  
  
And with that said, she turned and walked away. Zidane blinked several times, still absorbing her information, then charged forward.  
  
"Wait, who are you – ?!"  
  
But by that time, Triss was long gone . . .  
  
.............................  
  
Never before had an airship ride become lapsed in such horrible silence. It felt like the crew was flying steadily towards its own doom. Garnet, obviously concerned, had noticed Zidane sitting dejectedly in a corner of the Invincible, resting his chin on his knees.  
  
". . . You alright . . .?" She sat down beside him, smiling nervously. Zidane didn't even look at her.  
  
"Fine,"  
  
". . . Zidane, I . . . I know what you're going through . . ."  
  
". . . No you don't . . ." Zidane closed his eyes wearily, sniffing in disdain. Garnet lowered her gaze towards the floor, drawing circles on the steel tile with one finger.  
  
". . . You don't remember, then, do you? Have you forgotten everything in the midst of your problems?"  
  
Zidane opened his eyes slowly and turned his head to gaze blearily into Garnet's. There was no lie in them. They swirled, seeming to tell a story. Zidane felt his gut clench.  
  
/. . . Queen Brahne . . ./ The genome lowered his head in shame.  
  
"I-I'm sorry . . ."  
  
Garnet sighed casually, now averting her saddened eyes to the ceiling. "No, it's alright. I know you're going through a hard time . . . I mean, I can relate, though it isn't EXACTLY the same thing . . ." she now looked into Zidane's pale face, taking his hand in her own and squeezing it gently. "But I know how it feels to have to . . . to have to . . . kill . . ." Garnet whispered fearfully, as if the word were some sort of swear. ". . . A member of your own family . . . Though my mother was not related to me by blood, the very idea of taking her life was . . . was so painful . . ." Garnet bit her lip, tears swelling in her eyes as old memories of bursting ships, dragons, and sandy beaches resurfaced within her mind.  
  
"But you never had to actually kill her," Zidane said softly, refusing to meet Garnet's teary gaze. "My . . . my brother did it for you . . . But for me, there's no alternative. Even if one of you guys kill him, in the end it was all arranged by me. No opposing side is going to take his life, Dagger. Garland's not going to do it, the geonomes are not going to do it. WE are. And I am one of us . . ."  
  
". . . Zidane . . ."  
  
"Dagger, I made a promise to Kuja . . ." Zidane took a deep breath, the memory causing a terrible pressure to build up in his chest. "Do you remember, back on the Forgotten Continent . . . Right after Kuja scared Drakja away and we first realized Kuja was . . . Kuja was blind . . .?"  
  
"O-of course . . ."  
  
"Well, after Kuja told us he didn't want our . . . pity . . . I made a promise to myself and sealed it in my very heart . . ."  
  
Fear flashed across Garnet's face. She knew what was coming. "A-and what was that . . .?"  
  
". . . That I would save Kuja's life like he'd saved mine . . ."  
  
Silence. Garnet looked, terrified, into her fiancé's face.  
  
"Oh, Zidane . . ." She suddenly grasped him hard and pulled him into a desperate hug. "Oh, gods, I'm so sorry! I know, I know it's terrible! Horrible! Why must people do such things?!"  
  
Zidane allowed himself to sink into Garnet's embrace. ". . . Terrible . . ." he echoed softly.  
  
"You NEVER should have had to go through this!" Garnet cried, clutching Zidane as if letting go would kill them both. "You saved the world without having to destroy the culprit – your own BROTHER! And now . . . And now such a burden has been placed upon you!"  
  
Zidane noted, miserably, that Garnet's "princess voice" returned when she was distraught. He thought back . . . three years ago . . . to the loneliest time in his life. In his mind's eye he saw every – vivid – detail. It was like the image had become tattooed into his skull. He saw the vines of the Iifa Tree stiffening and closing in about him. He saw Kuja's ruined body collapsed several feet away. Dirt in his silver hair . . . Blood splattered across the roots . . . He saw Kuja gasping for breath as the blood drained from every last broken bone in his body . . . And Zidane remembered . . . He remembered the hopelessness and despair . . . He remembered lying his own tattered form down next to his brother and just listening to Kuja suffocate on his own blood . . . He remembered crying . . . He remembered singing . . . He remembered being in pain . . . And he remembered Kuja laughing as they finally freed themselves from the tree.  
  
/Flash/  
  
"We did it, Zidane! My god! We did it!"  
  
"Kuja, w-we're free! WE'RE FREE!!!"  
  
"Aha! We're unbeatable!"  
  
"We'll never be destroyed!"  
  
/Flash/  
  
". . . We'll never be destroyed . . ." Zidane whispered. "Never . . . Never . . ." He pulled away from Garnet, staring into her face. "What will I do, Dagger?! How will I go on without . . . without him . . .?"  
  
". . . You still have me . . ."  
  
"Gods, Dagger, gods, and I pray every moment that I will never lose you either!" Zidane pressed his lips gratefully against hers, sighing at the familiar warmth. When they pulled apart, there were tears streaming down his cheeks as well as hers. "I don't want to lose my family, Dagger," the genome sobbed. "Mikoto is being taken as we speak, and Kuja . . . Dagger, look what they did to him!" Zidane buried his face in his hands, shoulders shaking with sobs.  
  
"I worked so hard to protect him . . . And now . . . Now I must DESTROY him!"  
  
"There must be a way!" Garnet shouted fiercely. "I think . . . I think you should take Beatrix's advice! Don't harm Kuja for now! Not until we can come up with something! This isn't the end, Zidane! There's always a way to do everything!"  
  
Zidane blinked, his eyes shining at Garnet's powerful words. His face cracked into a weak smile.  
  
"Then I shall try . . ."  
  
.............................  
  
Alexandria . . . was . . . a . . . mess . . .  
  
Sirens blared, people screamed, soldiers ran for their lives. It was pandemonium. Buildings exploded without warning, flames roared into the sky, broken rubble crashed into the streets. Geonomes were looting everything in sight. Dead bodies were piled in the shadowy corners of the roads, people screaming as they ran for their lives, soldiers shrieking as they drove their blades through the enemies of Gaia. And in the blood- soaked sky, a silver dragon screeched as it dove through the rotten air.  
  
"Oh gods . . ." Garnet stood next to the airship, gazing dazedly at the chaos with tears in her eyes. ". . . My city . . ."  
  
"God damn you, Garland!" Zidane's fists shook angrily as he clenched his teeth. He looked back at the others. "We've got a BIG cleanup job to do . . ."  
  
"We can't defeat them ALL!!" Lani stared at the floods of people in the streets with wide eyes.  
  
"Well, we can't say that until we've tried!" Zidane snarled and charged forward, drawing his weapon. The others cried out, sharpening claws, releasing swords, preparing items and magic . . . Garnet grabbed Beatrix before she could attack along with the others.  
  
"Beatrix, command the troops! This is war!"  
  
"Yes, my queen!"  
  
"We've got troops coming in from outside!" a soldier yelled, rushing past Beatrix. "Lindblum and Burmecia are expected to have soldiers arriving outside our border in TWENTY – MINUTES!"  
  
"Got it!" Beatrix wrenched her sword from her sheathe. Her comrades had already vanished into the melee (including Garnet). Now was her time to shine . . .  
  
.............................  
  
"Stop that geonome!" Freya gasped, making a frantic grab for one of the culprits. The geonome shrieked, falling and getting squashed underneath her. Fratley laughed.  
  
"Go, Freya, go!" He smashed another geonome over the head with his javelin, smirking.  
  
Indeed, all-out war seemed to be the trend. There were hundreds of geonomes and hundreds of troops . . . It was more of a game of tag as the geonomes fought to destroy and the troops fought to destroy the destroyers.  
  
"Nya ha!" a female geonome giggled as she cast a Fira in the middle of the streets. Several soldiers leapt out of the way just as a smoldering heap of . . . well, no one could really tell WHAT it had once been . . . crashed from the sky and splattered.  
  
"Ugh!" one of the Alexandrian soldiers made a face, grimacing and falling on her rear.  
  
"Hold your posts!" Beatrix shouted, charging by and slashing furiously at a geonome. It dodged her and teleported away. Beatrix halted and sighed.  
  
"How are you two faring?" she glanced sideways at Freya and Fratley.  
  
"Actually, this is rather enjoyable . . ." Fratley admitted. Beatrix knitted her brows at the Burmecian.  
  
"I see . . . Well, I HIGHLY doubt you'll be saying that later. None of the lead geonomes have come by yet and, well . . ." Red flushed Beatrix's cheeks. Freya looked on dryly.  
  
"And Kuja hasn't come to kill us yet . . ."  
  
"Er, yeah . . ."  
  
"INCOMING!!!"  
  
A cry arose from the populace in the streets as something screeched through the air. Beatrix paled.  
  
"Oh, no! DUCK!!!"  
  
Freya and Fratley just barely managed to throw themselves to the ground before the flurry of chaotic white dove through them.  
  
"Ah, it's coming back!" a woman down the road clutched her two children, blocking them as the incredibly large object hurtled down the street. Wings fluttered as the silver dragon took to the skies again. The rider, calmly, cast a jet of Thundaga upon the frightened people below.  
  
"Nng!" Beatrix closed her eye, calling upon a spell as she charged forward. "BARRIER!!!" The general held out her sword, point to the sky, attempting to catch some of the waves of electricity that bore down upon the people.  
  
CRACK.  
  
The lightning caught on Save the Queen, exploding out into the street and popping up the sides of rubble. Beatrix stood firm her position, legs trembling as she held the magic at bay. Agony ran up and down her arms. But she couldn't catch it all . . .  
  
Though most people – soldiers and citizens alike – had gotten safely out of the way, at least three bodies lay blood-soaked in the street. Electricity coursed through their torn figures, the magic still tearing apart their insides. Beatrix gasped, the magic expelling and vanishing. She slumped forward, exhausted, and stared at the bodies in sheer horror. Little blood- shed had yet occurred in this battle. She had known it would come, but . . .  
  
"Not like this . . ."  
  
Kuja had murdered more innocents . . .  
  
.............................  
  
"Oh man, it has been FAR too long since I've gone on a killing spree," Lulian laughed, darting through the air and watching the screams and cries of the Alexandrian citizens brushing beneath her feet.  
  
"Ants, they are!" one of her minions chuckled below, yelling up at Lulian as she hovered a good twenty feet above his head. "You could squash them so easily!" To demonstrate this to his female master, the geonome suddenly gripped a woman by the collar whom had previously been hiding behind a dumpster (and was pretty sure she couldn't be seen). The woman was getting on in years and was trembling with fright. The geonome, teeth bared in a menacing grin, poked her in the shoulder whilst muttering an agitated spell. The woman screamed, flames bursting beneath her flesh. In a moment, she was nothing more than combusted ash clutched in her murderer's fingers. The geonome blew it into the street, laughing hysterically. Lulian applauded.  
  
"Another soul for Master Garland!" She pointed back at the Indomitable, which hovered several miles away. Faint lights were drifting towards it, illuminated weakly against the blood-red sky. Soon, Garland would have just enough . . .  
  
"Lulian, how many have you taken?!" A voice arose from down the street. Lulian glanced over her shoulder and smirked upon spotting Chikara.  
  
"Chikara-san!" she practically melted in affection. "How wonderful of you to join us! How many for you?" She floated over to the powerful geonome and stared down at him in her bubbliest way. Chikara looked up at his woman-master seriously.  
  
"I have only managed to take the lives of four people so far,"  
  
"Four?" Lulian looked crestfallen. "But . . ."  
  
"Troops from neighboring cities have begun to pour into Alexandria. This place is becoming a hazard-zone . . ."  
  
Lulian harrumphed, folding her arms across her chest and chewing on her heavily painted lip.  
  
"Well /I/ have managed to down fifteen already, Chikara. I expect better work from you. Good gods, what if Drakja finds out?! Hmm?!"  
  
Chikara's face flashed with a momentary fear. "You would reveal me?"  
  
"Aw, my poor wittle Chikara . . ." Lulian caressed the man's face with one hand, smirking, and then carefully scratched him under the eye with one of her killer, lime-green fingernails. He hissed with pain.  
  
"That's for doubting my loyalty," she snapped, frowning. "And if you put your trust in me in question again, I won't hesitate to claw your eyes out . . ."  
  
Snapping her tail in his face, Lulian whipped around and shot off down the street.  
  
.............................  
  
"This isn't good," Drakja mused, glaring out at the fiery city of Alexandria (he was rather proud of the "flames" aspect of the nation's destruction). "We've become outnumbered by heavily armed troops . . . Ummei, have you unleashed any of Garland's Machines yet?"  
  
Ummei cowered at Drakja's side, staring over the bridge of the Indomitable right alongside his cruel master.  
  
"Ah . . . Just the one you know of . . . B-but . . . But he's not activated . . ."  
  
"Well, activate him, you moron!"  
  
"Y-you know I can't!" Ummei's green eyes went wide with fright. "O-only Master Garland has that authority!"  
  
Drakja's face twisted into a knowing grin. "You're in one of your smart swings right now, aren't you?" Ummei blushed.  
  
"A-am I . . .?"  
  
"Yes, you are . . . And whose idea was it to power the Machines?"  
  
"Mine,"  
  
"So who should control them?"  
  
Ummei didn't respond. /Not me . . . Not me . . . Just leave me alone . . . Dear God, don't drag me into this . . .! Mikoto . . ./.  
  
A cold, black-gloved hand dropped down on Drakja's shoulder. Drakja gasped, going white with fear.  
  
"G-Garland!"  
  
Garland's eyes flashed coldly in the putrid air. "That was a very treasonous thing you were just suggesting to Ummei . . ."  
  
"Oh, forgive me Master Garland!" Drakja looked ready to pass out with nerves. Garland was much different than only a few hours before. The crimson light in his armor glowed and pulsated fiercely like flame and Garland's aura was increasing exponentially in strength. He would soon reach a higher form of being if he continued to gain such power . . . Drakja paled.  
  
"I-I only wished for . . . for our experiments to become activated . . .!"  
  
"And they will, dear Drakja, they will," Garland stared out into the city of Alexandria from his perch upon the regal airship. "As a matter of fact, I have turned our best ally on right now,"  
  
"Y-you have . . .?" Drakja blinked. Garland sneered, chuckling.  
  
"Indeed, I have. And I told him to kill every Gaian he comes across and . . . to save a special spot in his lust for Zidane . . ."  
  
..............................  
  
Slash, smash, dodge, parry. Zidane had to put all the skills he had ever learned to the test. Geonomes would seem to pop out of nowhere (in fact, some really did) and would immediately start to battle. Zidane, luckily, had sustained few injuries (save a nasty gash across his left arm). But that didn't make it any easier. He was already exhausted and knew that the battle probably wouldn't end in Alexandria anyways.  
  
"Get away from that!" the genome practically whined, thrusting his blade at a geonome that, taking a break from fighting, had stopped to sink his teeth into the shoulder of a dead Alexandrian. The geonome shrieked – the dagger sinking into his side – and then shuddered before slumping over the body it had previously begun devouring. Zidane sighed, thankful that he'd scared most geonomes down that particular street away, and then went to retrieve his dagger.  
  
"Since when have you freaks eaten human meat anyways?!" Zidane grumbled, bending over and wrenching the blade from the geonome's flesh. He was surprised when the creature, not yet dead, looked up at him with one glazed, green eye.  
  
"Well . . . G-Garland doesn't . . . Garland doesn't exactly f-feed us . . . So w-we eat out of . . . out of Gaian garbage cans . . . when we have . . . when we have to . . . which . . . is almost . . . always . . ." Then it shuddered and lay still.  
  
Zidane didn't know why, but for a moment he stood there in shock feeling very, very uneasy. Those words had disturbed him in some strange, possibly foolish way. But he didn't have time to dwell on that now. There were still more geonomes to fight. Thank the gods this alleyway was so deserted.  
  
When Zidane had first gone down that street he'd found about seven or eight geonomes finishing off a couple of Gaians (all basically dead). Zidane had quickly tried to dispose of them but the geonomes, whose jobs were to kill as many people as possible, not pick fights, had quickly escaped. Zidane had nothing left to do in that alleyway now (since most other streets in Alexandria were almost full to bursting with troops, citizens, and enemies) so he began to turn to leave.  
  
Then he felt that icy chill run like groping fingers up his spine . . .  
  
". . . No . . ."  
  
Zidane whipped around, knowing in his deepest heart that he didn't want to see what stood behind him . . .  
  
White eyes glistened with malice, pale lips twisting into a deranged smile.  
  
". . . Kuja . . . So you've finally come for me . . ."  
  
Zidane had suspected – still suspected – that Garland had given Kuja special orders to destroy him in particular. /I need to get away!/  
  
Zidane whirled on his heel, springing hard off his toes into a run. There was a whoosh and Kuja was running beside him, his face momentarily expressionless again. Then Kuja lashed out, smacking Zidane off to the side.  
  
"Ngh!" the blonde genome tumbled and crashed into the street, groaning as fresh cuts opened on his hands. /Gods . . . I can't escape him . . ./  
  
Kuja stepped towards Zidane but was too slow. In seconds the younger of the two was on his feet and making a mad dash down the street again. There was a flash and Kuja was in front of him. Zidane gasped, putting on the brakes and screeching to a halt before he could run into his brother.  
  
"No!"  
  
Another turn, another attempt to escape. Zidane was running, running, running from his sibling . . . Don't stop running . . . Don't stop running . . .  
  
He'd only made it about two feet before Kuja was right in front of Zidane again.  
  
"Wh . . . How did he . . .?"  
  
/He's barrier transmigratory, the bastard! He ran right through me!/  
  
Zidane felt fear bubbling up in the pit of his stomach. He realized a second too late that he was nearly backed up against the alley's dead-end brick wall. Zidane looked back to where it loomed several feet away, then turned to Kuja. Kuja was smirking.  
  
". . . Oh no . . ."  
  
BAM.  
  
Kuja shot forward like a cannon, grasped Zidane by the throat, and slammed his back into the wall so hard that he heard the bricks crack and shatter against his bruised shoulder-blades (which had possibly broken and shattered as well). Kuja held Zidane's neck in one hand and had him lifted into the air, his feet dangling pitifully above the ground as Kuja showed off his newfound (and highly unnatural) strength.  
  
Zidane was struggling, struggling for his very life.  
  
"No . . . Kuja, don't . . . Please . . . Gods, it's me . . .! Aah . . .!"  
  
Kuja's fingers tightened, cutting off his brother's air. Zidane gasped, feeling the blood running down his neck where Kuja's nails dug into his flesh. He couldn't breathe, everything was spinning . . . Kuja wasn't content just to suffocate Zidane . . . He was attempting to crush his throat . . .  
  
". . . KUJA!!!" Zidane cried out as he heard a crack (and it wasn't the wall). The warlock only grinned madly, closing his fingers harder. Zidane's life was flashing before his eyes . . . Tears were pouring down his face . . .  
  
But he wasn't crying for his own life . . . No, no, that had nothing to do with it. He wasn't crying because he knew he was about to die . . . He wasn't crying because it hurt or because the world was going to end . . . He knew if he tried hard enough he could struggle free . . .  
  
That was the problem . . .  
  
". . . Kuja . . ." Zidane gasped. "Kuja . . . Please . . . Don't do this . . . I'm not pleading for my life . . . Kuja . . . Please . . . Don't . . . Don't . . ." Zidane's eyes rolled up into his head as all his desperation and agony exploded from his very soul.  
  
"Please . . . DON'T GIVE ME A REASON TO KILL YOU!!!"  
  
WHAM.  
  
There was a flash of color and the next thing Zidane knew, Kuja's fingers were wrenched off his throat and the sorcerer, taken off guard in his thirst to murder Zidane, was thrown sideways off his feet. Zidane choked and slid, dazed, down the wall still clutching his neck.  
  
............................  
  
"Drakja, honey!" Lulian gripped her partner tightly around the arms and pulled him into a passionate kiss (she was still floating several feet above the ground). He, stiffly, allowed her to have her way, then pulled back.  
  
"Lulian, I don't think now is the time . . ." Drakja glanced around the alleyway nervously. "We're supposed to be out in the squares fighting . . . And besides, if Garland caught us . . . Y'know . . ."  
  
Lulian grinned, lying down in the air and resting her head in her hand.  
  
"That's a chance I'm willing to take . . ." Drakja stared at the low cut on her dress.  
  
/Gah, stop thinking about beautiful women . . ./ the alpha-male chastised. /Back to the task at hand . . ./  
  
"Lulian, I'm begging you . . . Slaughter twenty more Gaians and THEN maybe I'll think about . . . Giving you some fun . . ."  
  
Lulian cheered. "Yay! I'll be back, don't forget!"  
  
There was a pop and she was gone. Drakja shivered, shaking his head. "It's so wrong, but she is SO hot . . ." he hesitated. "Speaking of temperature . . . Is it just me, or did it just get really cold . . .? Oh . . . no . . . Not now . . ."  
  
Drakja buried his face in his hands, groaning as he heard the familiar voice.  
  
". . . You sure talk to yourself a lot, Drakja . . ."  
  
Drakja peered up at the newcomer through his fingers. Yup. The great General of Shi was back . . .  
  
"Saishoja . . . What the hell are you doing in Alexandria . . .?!!"  
  
The silver-haired man cocked his head, leaning against the alley wall. The long ends of his black blindfold rustled in a faint, invisible wind. His shimmering aura seemed somewhat stronger than Drakja remembered it.  
  
"Just thought I'd check up on your progress . . . I commend you . . . Your people are very thorough murderers . . ." Saishoja straightened himself and stepped carefully towards the geonome. The latter shivered, backing up until he was against the opposite wall. Saishoja grinned, placing an arm on either side of Drakja's head and leaning wickedly towards him with a cruel smile.  
  
". . . Not that I didn't already know that . . ."  
  
Drakja clenched his eyes shut, turning his head away from Saishoja's face where he should have felt breath but found none.  
  
"Please . . . Stop tormenting me . . ."  
  
"No, Drakja. I won't stop. Not until you remember . . ."  
  
"R-remember what . . .?" Drakja had one emerald eye fixed fearfully upon Saishoja's pale, beautiful face.  
  
"Not until you remember how you really died . . ."  
  
Drakja felt a stab of fear in his gut. "But . . . But I know how Drakja died . . . And besides, I'm not him . . . Why should it matter . . .?! Go track down his soul and torture IT for Terra's sake . . ."  
  
"Fool," Saishoja hissed, pressing his forehead against Drakja's and sneering. "I already did that . . . Garland is pathetic, is he not? Reusing souls . . . Sick . . . Never granting them their peace . . . I was fortunate to escape him . . . Gods only know what poor soul was given to Kuja . . . A soul that must wait through another lifetime before knowing the bliss of the after-life . . ."  
  
"You mean . . . I . . ."  
  
"Drakja . . . Hehe . . . It's been a long time . . ." Saishoja suddenly took the frightened geonome's face in his hands and smiled. "Eventually . . . You will remember everything . . . And the truth . . . You think you died during the war, don't you?"  
  
"I-it was the radiation from the bombs that destroyed Terra . . . I died with my people . . ."  
  
"No . . ." Saishoja breathed. "You died with me . . ."  
  
Drakja could hardly speak with fear. His voice caught in his throat, his mind a white sheet. This . . . didn't . . . make . . . sense . . .  
  
Y-you're a loony . . ." Drakja mumbled. "Years of being trapped on Gaia can do that to a person – er, soul . . ."  
  
"I'm a loony, eh?" Saishoja queried. He smirked. "Then tell me . . . Do you remember THIS wound?!" Drakja didn't have time to react. He didn't have time to wonder what this could possibly mean for him. There was a sudden, intense pain in his stomach and the next thing he knew he was sinking to his knees, blood exploding and pouring from his mouth as he threw up his very life's contents. Saishoja stood above him, frowning, as Drakja clutched his abdomen in agony, glazed eyes rolling up into his head.  
  
". . . It must be sad . . ." Saishoja murmured softly. "The afterlife could still be granted to you but only with another's aid . . . I will help you . . . When you die, I will take you to heaven myself . . ."  
  
"Wh-wha . . . Ngh!" Drakja gasped as the blood seeped through his hands; bubbling between his clenched fingers and spilling like faucets from the impossible wound in his stomach. Saishoja looked bitter.  
  
"The way you died . . . It was idiotic . . . You lost safe passage to the afterlife without my help . . . But I cannot save you . . . Until you remember . . ."  
  
A gust of warm air blew by and Saishoja evaporated. Drakja choked as the pain vanished, the blood stopped flowing, and the wound closed up and sealed.  
  
". . . What . . .WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!!"  
  
.............................  
  
Beatrix snarled furiously, pinning Kuja's struggling form to the ground as he kicked out dangerously near her stomach.  
  
"Bastard, Garland!" she cried, knowing the overlord could hear her through Kuja. "You're not going to get away with this!"  
  
Kuja hissed and Beatrix realized, too late, that he was muttering a spell.  
  
"Ah . . . N-no . . ."  
  
She winced, waiting for the blow, when a voice interrupted their desperate struggle.  
  
"Kuja, cease your fire . . ."  
  
Kuja blinked and went limp under Beatrix; his need to free himself now meaningless. The general stared down at him guiltily and rolled off, wondering how she could have attacked him when he didn't even know what he was doing . . .  
  
Garland was standing several feet away, watching with a small smile on his face. Zidane was still dazed, but he was conscious enough to growl faintly as he rubbed his neck (the bleeding still hadn't stopped).  
  
"G-Garland . . . L-leave him alone . . ."  
  
The Terran overlord chuckled and beckoned something to his side. Beatrix and Zidane gasped as another, much younger genome stepped out from behind Garland's back and stood loyally and expressionless at his side. A sob escaped Zidane's lips.  
  
"M-Mikoto . . .! No!"  
  
Garland smirked, patting the young girl on her blonde head. "My second Machine," he said softly. "So loyal to me . . . But this one still has her soul. She was created much weaker than Kuja, so maintaining it will make her almost equivalent in strength"  
  
"What the hell do you want?!" Beatrix demanded, standing up and holding Save the Queen's deadly point in Garland's face. The old man sighed at Beatrix's violent pushiness.  
  
"I have come to inform you that I have completed all that I need done in Alexandria. My geonomes have now killed so many Gaians that my Indomitable can hold no more. In other words, we're leaving . . . And I've come here to retrieve Kuja, thank you,"  
  
"You came here to gloat, is what you did . . ." Zidane hissed, stumbling to his feet and clutching onto the wall as the pain in his lungs returned.  
  
"Mmm . . . Perhaps . . ." Garland's white eyes were twinkling. "Kuja, come, we must return to the Fire Shrine where the captured souls await me. All I need do is absorb them and I shall reach a higher, more powerful state of being . . ."  
  
Kuja rose calmly to his feet and walked towards his master. A dark shadow fell across his pale body followed by a thud as the silver dragon, in a hail of feathers and a loud crash, landed at his side. Kuja grasped it by the neck and leapt on. Zidane couldn't help but notice, however, that the dragon gave Kuja a strange, uncertain look. Garland waved.  
  
"Ta ta,"  
  
A flash, and they were gone . . . Kuja, Mikoto, and all . . .  
  
.............................  
  
The team regrouped somewhere in the center of Alexandria. The troops of the other cities were busy cleaning up the dead bodies of geonomes and Alexandrians alike. The sky above seemed permanently stained with the color of blood. The Indomitable was gone and their chance of victory seemed to vanish with it . . .  
  
"We have to stop them," said Beatrix. "We have to, that's all there is to it. We have to stop Garland . . .  
  
"Th-then we're going back to the Fire Shrine?" Vivi queried.  
  
"Seems so . . ." Garnet's eyes were heavy with sadness.  
  
"And Kuja will die . . ." Zidane whispered, leaning slightly against Steiner for support (and ignoring the great strain this put on his typically bloated ego).  
  
"We don't have any other choice," Fratley pointed out. "It's now or never. Garland's probably already absorbed those souls. We know what happens when fools gain more power . . . I believe you witnessed its colossal strength on Terra . . ."  
  
Zidane winced.  
  
/Flash/  
  
"Yes! This is the power I've longed for! The mighty power of souls! They assault any threat that tries to destroy them! I shall rule Terra and Gaia with my unconditional love from now on . . . Should I kill you quickly to show my appreciation for all you've done? Or should I kill you slowly and painfully to show you my love . . . Oh, I've got a great idea! How's this? I'll make you pillars for my castle! You'll all decorate my castle as a symbol of my eternal kingdom . . . How do you like that?"  
  
/Flash/  
  
It was true. Zidane could still remember like a chant that ran day and night through his head that horrible time when Kuja had finally realized the wonderful drug of power. The horror he had unleashed . . . Ironically, he had done the same thing Garland was about to do: absorb souls from the Terran airships. Kuja had Tranced and gone insane. He'd been capable of mass genocide the likes of which dictators could only dream of. Then . . .  
  
What would Garland be capable of doing with the same power . . .?  
  
It was settled. They were going back to the Fire Shrine . . .  
  
It was time to end this once . . . and . . . for all . . .  
  
..............................  
  
A/N: This is the fic that never ends . . . It just goes on and on my friends . . . Some moron, started writing without knowing what it was (that's not true!), and she will keep on writing this forever just because this is the – oh, screw that . . .  
  
So let's see, what is this? Chappie forty-five, eh? Heh, my spell-check didn't like the word "chappie" and its first suggestion was "crappie" snigger. Anyways . . . Well, this was a rather interesting chapter . . . Something is amiss . . . Well, okay, a lot of things are amiss. But some things are more amiss than other things Of course, you peoples DO realize that the next chapter starts the FINAL BATTLE. That's right, after more than a year of production on this fic, the final battle has finally (no pun intended) come. I thought this story would make it to fifty chapters but now I'm not so sure . . . The final battle should take up AT LEAST chapters forty-six and forty-seven (maybe forty-eight if things take longer than I anticipated) then the epilogue and a bonus chapter when I finally have the WEB-COMIC LINK cough, nudge, cough And then . . . I guess that's that. Tears . . . welling up in eyes . . . Misery . . . increasing . . . Urge to kill . . . rising . . . (not really) Need for Gysahl Pickles . . . Priceless. There are some things money can't buy, for everything else, there's chocobos (kweh! Or, uh, "wark" if you played anything Final Fantasy VII or below. VIII too? I can't remember . . .). By the time the next chapter's posted, I'm gonna be out of my freshman year of high school (which is crazy, since I'm still not fifteen . . . In fact, I won't be fifteen for, uh, about three months . . . sweatdrop). . . . Bloop . . .  
  
Ooh, bonus time! I wrotes me some poems 'bout Kuja. Cliché, ne? Everyone writes poems about Kuja. Well, I don't care! I almost never do, so I did a couple for, er, school. Um, yeah, I wrote these several months ago, forgot about them, and just found them yesterday. My teacher liked them (yay!). I almost NEVER do poems, so if these suck, I'm sorry . . . The first one was a "tanka" poem which is like an extended haiku. The syllabic count is off because part of it was written in another language ('cause I was bored) and then translated. It's not because I'm stupid (though, that's always possible). It's obviously a reference to Kuja in Trance finding out he will die . . .  
  
AUTUMN  
  
Dark leaves that fall here,  
  
Like blood-red flower petals;  
  
Masks of crimson plumage.  
  
While knowing in my bitter plight  
  
The days of my hall have ended.  
  
And the second one here was a random poem I did while thinking about Kuja (and possibly a little bit of Naruto sweatdrop) referring to mistreated children.  
  
YOU HURT  
  
You knock me down  
  
Push me around  
  
You kick me hard  
  
Catch me off guard.  
  
You laugh with glee  
  
Though you can see  
  
That I'm in pain  
  
It's just a game.  
  
So why do I fall every time?  
  
Pretending everything is fine?  
  
Because no matter where I hide  
  
I still think you have good inside.  
  
This third one here I wrote in reference to Zidane's thoughts on Kuja. When I first started writing it I intended for it to be a Cloud reflecting on Sephiroth reference. Then I changed the perspective because I decided to write another one displaying Cloud a little differently. Here's the result . . .  
  
HOW COULD YOU?  
  
To me you were a god.  
  
A monolith of strength.  
  
The price I'd pay to be you.  
  
I'd go to any length.  
  
How could you?  
  
When people spoke your name  
  
It was preceded by a Great.  
  
Such glory and such fame.  
  
Why couldn't I have such a fate?  
  
How could you?  
  
I was blinded by your light  
  
And shielded by your shame.  
  
An inner horror fight.  
  
A curse upon your name.  
  
How could you?  
  
Your silence should have told me.  
  
A warning to my soul.  
  
A million ways to step free.  
  
To keep my spirits whole.  
  
How could you?  
  
And in the end you shined  
  
With the darkness of your light.  
  
And then became confined  
  
In your future-present fight.  
  
How could you?  
  
You took everything I ever loved.  
  
And everything I need.  
  
You took my sanity and shoved  
  
To seal away your deed.  
  
How could you?  
  
So in the end you vanished.  
  
At least within my mind.  
  
But you were never finished.  
  
Only then my heart you'd come to find.  
  
How could you?  
  
You took everything from me!  
  
You took my life my soul and heart!  
  
Just because you're not free  
  
You chose to tear my world apart.  
  
How could you?  
  
I'm left alone  
  
I'm cold and lost.  
  
Your hatred's grown  
  
And built my frost.  
  
How could you?  
  
And when I finally saw you die  
  
And witnessed a clear dawn.  
  
It was then the truth enlightened me.  
  
I was sad that you were gone . . .  
  
How could you?  
  
When I knew.  
  
I hate you.  
  
Now, this one here is probably my favorite poem I've ever written. This one has a lot of double meanings because it's a Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy IX poem where no matter which game you've played you can see where it fits as either Zidane's perspective or Cloud's perspective. And believe me, I know it's true 'cause I had two different people with those situations read them and it was funny how true it was. Well, obviously the Train Graveyard reference is VII. But this is interesting: both commented on the part about the burning flame. The VII person said it was Meteor in the sky. The IX person said it was Trance Kuja destroying Terra. Dude, awesome! I just liked it for the rhyme scheme, lol   
  
FOG DEATH  
  
I can't recall how long it's been.  
  
This fog that's in my brain, like then  
  
Is a cloud that settles in my head.  
  
I should be dead.  
  
On an eve so dark a blanket there  
  
Had painted the black night-sky bare.  
  
Trains that even death discard  
  
Sleeping in the Train Graveyard.  
  
Not a purpose, not a thought.  
  
Knowing even then I ought  
  
Have stayed behind and let lights dim  
  
So they could claim both me and Him.  
  
Can't remember, not a thing.  
  
What do all these voices sing  
  
Ever on inside my head  
  
I should be dead.  
  
I feel the earth beneath me cry  
  
This song that says it soon shall die.  
  
I cannot care, I cannot care.  
  
Burning, burning, always there.  
  
Swords that flash in crimson light  
  
One wing falls from feather flight  
  
A pained death-rattle on the night  
  
Darkness ever grasps my sight.  
  
What is it I left behind?  
  
Something I'm supposed to find.  
  
Colors always flashing red.  
  
I cannot see the light ahead.  
  
I should be dead.  
  
A single flame burns in the east  
  
Ever plastered on the sky.  
  
Make him suffer, make him cry.  
  
This time it's His turn to die.  
  
Whee, that's such a fun poem, lol. And I guess that's a wrap! I hope those were a bit of a break from the excruciating destructiveness of this story, heh. Hope they don't suck eggs, either . . . I'm all excited 'cause I just came back from the Anime Central convention and I found a Sephiroth cosplay where the guy actually had just ONE WING! Dude! And I stopped a guy and took a picture of the back of his shirt 'cause it said: "Have you hugged YOUR Sephiroth today?" WHEE! But then I got pissed 'cause there was this FREAKIN' AWESOME Vincent Valentine model that I wanted. I asked the guy to convert the yen for me . . . ONE-HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-FIVE DOLLARS!!! Okay, I had that much with me, but not to spend on ONE THING!!! ARGH, MONEY-GRUBBING BASTARDS!!! Anyways, I had fun. I'm doing Trance Kuja next year (no joke). I'm gonna drop twenty pounds and then go out and buy a twenty-pound bag of red feathers . . . Oh, the fun I'm gonna have, hehe.  
  
REVIEW, OR SUFFER MY WRATH!!! (this is the longest chapter YET!) Oh, and the delay was my dad's fault, blame him. He was supposed to read this chapter before I posted it and he kept freakin' stalling stab ! I say we all gang up on him, lol. He said it was his favorite chapter so far, though, so that's a good thing . . . Still . . . 


	46. The Final Battle Part 1: Resurrection

A/N: Oh gods . . . My air conditioner's dead . . . According to the gauge it's currently 86 degrees in my bedroom . . . barf Can't . . . go on . . . much longer . . . Ugh. Well, we're gettin' to the end, eh? One more chapter after this and then the epilogue. Next chapter will reveal everything except for Kuja88's info, since that's reserved for the epilogue. Hard to believe all mysteries shall be solved by the next chapter. Kinda . . . Kinda scares me, actually nervous laughter . . . And this chapter is REALLY long again . . . But right now I'm high on some major I-just-saw-the-Harry-Potter-and-the-Prisoner-of-Azkaban-movie-three- times-and-I-am-a-Sirius-Black-fan fumes. I WUB HIM!!!!! squeal So I'm happy now, despite the heat. But this chapter was EXHAUSTING to write . . . I hope I maintained good quality throughout, regardless. Ah, who cares 'bout me, read the damn fic already, lol!  
  
Disclaimer: The Golden Rule: Own Final Fantasies, exactly as they own you. Which means, erm, not owning them, I guess . . .?  
  
Warning! Major cliff-hanger ahead!  
  
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() ()()()()()()()  
  
"I wonder if it hurts to live,  
  
And if they have to try,  
  
And whether, could they choose between,  
  
They would not rather die."  
  
– "I Measure Every Grief" (excerpt), Emily Dickinson  
  
"Are you guys ready?" Zidane stared about the interior of the Invincible at them all, his comrades, ashen faced but prepared to take on the world.  
  
"I-I'm kinda scared . . ." Vivi admitted, nervously gripping his hat and tugging it down over his face.  
  
"No! We know no fear!" Eiko complained, pointing accusingly at Vivi. "We're the . . . uh . . . The Unbeatable . . . er . . . Gaian People! And we shall vanquish ALL who oppose us! Rawr!" she added as an afterthought, puffing out her chest indignantly. Garnet was laughing, leaning on Zidane.  
  
"You wanted us to be 'The Betrothed,' remember?"  
  
Zidane smirked, wrapping his arm around his fiancé's shoulders. "Yeah, and then you said your talent was "up to snuff" but the name wasn't . . ."  
  
Freya was chuckling nervously, sticking close to Fratley. "Whatever happens, you won't leave my side again . . . right?" she whispered.  
  
"Never . . ." the Iron-Tailed echoed, closing his eyes and hugging Freya tighter.  
  
"I'm gonna hack Garland into pieces!" Lani hissed, swinging her axe. There were many murmurs of assent.  
  
"We're going to win!" Steiner affirmed, looking serious. "Because I just can't stand the thought of an unhappy ending!"  
  
"Here, here!" Beatrix cheered, laughing. Though most of this was what many people would call "dumb-show," it was definitely helping to boost morale. The whir of the airship's motors seemed to deafen somewhat with the crew's rising confidence.  
  
"So . . . what's everybody's motivation?" Zidane queried, frowning slightly. "I mean, what is it that we're really fighting for today?"  
  
Silence fell. No one seemed to know what to say or wanted to be the first to say it. Zidane raised an eyebrow. "Alright, how 'bout a volunteer . . . Rusty?"  
  
Steiner turned a bright shade of magenta and opened his mouth to reprimand the young thief when Garnet rested a delicate hand on his arm  
  
"No, Steiner . . . We're a team now . . ."  
  
The knight sighed, bowing his head in shame. "My motivation . . .?" he queried softly. "Gee . . . I dunno . . . I think . . . I think I just want to see . . . I want to see Alexandria shining bright again the way it was before our king – gods bless him – passed away. I want the crystal atop the castle to glitter as it once did before the city became so stained with sin . . . Yeah," he nodded, pouting. "Yeah, I'm doing this for Alexandria!"  
  
"A noble cause," the others agreed. Zidane smirked.  
  
"I gotta hand it to ya, Rusty. There definitely ain't any rust on your heart . . ."  
  
Steiner stared at Zidane, rubbed his eyes, and stared some more. Could it be . . .? Yes, it was true. Zidane had changed a lot. Matured, perhaps. He'd learned some hard lessons in such a short life. For better or for worse, he was different . . .  
  
"What about you, Fratley?" Zidane continued, glancing around at the small gathering. Fratley shifted, seeming to ponder his answer.  
  
"I will admit," he said. "That my main goal is to see Burmecia restored as well. Oddly enough, part of this quest is to aid the man who helped destroy it . . . Yet, I think in the end I simply want the threat eliminated. I want my people to be able to walk the streets of Burmecia – and Cleyra for that matter, though they have turned their backs on us in these hard times – and not have to be afraid anymore. I want the children to be able to run in the streets without supervision. I want fathers to think about things other than sending their sons off to war . . . And you know what?" Fratley paused, seeming to blush slightly. "I think I might be doing some of this in memory of our . . . of our lost comrade, Quina. I think, in all this, the Qu stands as a lasting tribute to the sacrifices our people have made. I guess I just want justice to be served . . ."  
  
Freya was beaming proudly. "Yes, that is what I want as well . . ." she spoke so softly that the others had to lean in to hear her. "I am doing this so that dear Fratley and I may have at least some semblance of a chance of eternal happiness together . . . War has driven him away from me once . . . And I shall not let it happen again . . ."  
  
"And it won't," Fratley smiled, caressing Freya's cheek gently with his clawed hand.  
  
"What about you, Amarant?" Zidane now turned to the silent, brooding bandit. Amarant grunted.  
  
"I'm doing this so I can watch Garland suffer . . . I've spent my life being an asshole . . . I guess killing another asshole will feel just as good as eliminating my asshole-ish self . . ."  
  
"That makes so little sense, yet at the same time means everything . . ." Eiko was gaping at Amarant as if trying not to laugh.  
  
"You got that right!" Lani chirped. "And I'll be right alongside him, killing Garland just so I can get the satisfaction of saying /I/ murdered not only Amarant's supposed asshole side, but the satisfaction of murdering the biggest ASSHOLE to ever walk this sorry earth!!!"  
  
Though shocked, half the room actually applauded at this blunt statement. After so much suffering under Garland's rule, the idea of his blood-strewn corpse was almost as pleasing as smelling a bouquet of fresh roses.  
  
"Well, I'm doing it for the Summoners!" Eiko piped in, shaking a finger. "Kuja may have destroyed them, but Garland made him do it in the first place! It's Garland's fault I spent my life living in a pile of rubble with only my moogles for company! And hell, I'm doin' this for THEM too! And now that I know there are still a few Summoners left – the queen, that Megan girl . . . Well maybe there's still hope of restoring our race! I gotta give my people a chance, ya know what I mean?!"  
  
"What about you, Vivi?" All eyes turned onto the little mage. Vivi ducked his head fearfully, fidgeting.  
  
"I-I just want my kids to be happy . . . They were in Alexandria Castle when the geonomes came . . . I don't even want to think about wh-what could have happened if they'd been . . ." Vivi gulped. "If they'd been attacked . . ."  
  
"And they won't be while I still have a breath in my body," Garnet hissed. "I'm doing this for all the suffering Garland has ever caused me . . . Both my mothers . . . My city and comrades . . . What he's tried to do to my fiancé and his people . . . For poor Mikoto and the genomes . . . And . . ." Garnet blushed profusely, laughing. "I guess I'm doing it in the memory of my, er, future brother-in-law too . . . It seems that every injustice that has ever been done upon me in my life was Garland's fault . . . I guess my motivation is just to show him how it feels to be miserable . . . He needs to be taught that lesson . . . And it has to be painful . . ."  
  
"I'm likin' the sound of this!" Eiko grinned devilishly.  
  
"And you, Beatrix?" Zidane inquired curiously. Beatrix sighed.  
  
"I'm doing it for everything that I've ever stood for in life . . . The pact I made to protect my city, my queen, the Alexandrians . . ." she glanced, blushing, at Steiner for a moment and then looked away hurriedly. Zidane grinned faintly so she wouldn't notice HE'D noticed. "I'm doing it for the promise I made to Gaia and the promise I made to Kuja . . . I don't want to see suffering anymore . . . So I guess I've got to start at the source . . . And that source is Garland . . ." Beatrix paused, then smiled.  
  
"And you . . .? Zidane . . .?"  
  
Zidane fell silent, staring at the floor. Well, what the hell was he SUPPOSED to say?!  
  
"I . . . I don't know . . ."  
  
"Of course you do!" Garnet stared, disbelieving, at Zidane. "You must, or you wouldn't have asked US to find the answer in ourselves!"  
  
Zidane scratched his head uneasily, not even entirely sure what he wanted to say. "I'm just doing this so that . . ." the blonde raised his head slowly and looked up at his comrades – his friends – with shining eyes.  
  
"I'm doing this so our story will have a happy ending . . ."  
  
There was a hesitant silence amongst the crew of the Invincible. Some people were smiling, others were contemplating this answer.  
  
"We WILL have a happy ending . . ." Vivi muttered with more confidence in his voice than they had ever heard him have.  
  
"Of course we will," Beatrix was glaring as if furious that anybody could even THINK they wouldn't.  
  
"It just . . . It just seems so far away . . ." Zidane sighed, shaking his head. "Like tomorrow will never come . . . I mean, we have so much we need to do and so little time to do it. No matter how I look at it, we'll never be able to REALLY go home. Something, somewhere, will be so radically changed from this adventure that complete happiness will never be achieved . . . So I guess I'm just doing this so that I can have that one little hope to grasp onto . . . That hope that maybe – just maybe – everything will work out in the end . . ."  
  
Nobody needed to ask what he was talking about. They'd stayed away from the topic, but they all knew deep in their hearts that Zidane was going to lose family by the time all this was over. One way or another, somebody he loved dearly was going to die. It was just a question of who, how, and by whom . . .  
  
"We're almost there," Fratley commented, gazing out the yawning front window of the airship. "We should probably get ready . . ."  
  
"Yeah, and somebody ought to go wake that Megan girl," Garnet pointed out, frowning slightly. She couldn't help but notice that everyone called the third Summoner the "Megan girl."  
  
"I'll do it," said Beatrix, shrugging. After witnessing Kuja tear his arm through Amarant's claws a few hours ago, Megan had passed out cold (she was still afraid of blood no matter what anyone did to change it . . .). She hadn't woken since. Of course, she wouldn't be fighting (as she had no discernable powers to speak of), but she had insisted on coming along anyways, most likely for moral support and the hope that she wouldn't miss the wonderful shower of blood when they finally tore Garland limb from limb (at least, that's what she HOPED would happen).  
  
Beatrix took her leave of the others and slunk off into one of the outer rooms of the Invincible where Megan lay, unconscious, upon the floor. The general smirked and bent over, shaking the Summoner gently.  
  
"Hey . . ." she whispered. "Hey, wake up . . . We're touching down now . . ."  
  
Megan groaned, shaking out her head and grasping blindly for her glasses. Beatrix retrieved them for her and Megan, still lying upon the ground with her eyes clenched tightly shut, took them and slipped them on. Then she sat up and opened her eyes. Beatrix nearly gasped. They were swelling with tears just ready to pour.  
  
"Whoa, whoa . . . Wh-what's wrong . . .?"  
  
Megan sniffled, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. "He shredded his arm and didn't even seem to feel it . . .!" the Summoner practically wailed. "It should have hurt but it didn't!"  
  
Beatrix blinked, shocked, and got down on one knee beside the young woman. "Megan, Megan everything's going to work out . . . We're going to kill Garland and then you won't ever have to see someone do something as disgusting as that again . . ."  
  
"It's not that . . .!" Megan sobbed, burying her face in her knees. Beatrix hesitated, then asked a very, VERY daring question.  
  
"Megan . . . What are your true feelings about Kuja . . .?"  
  
Megan stopped and raised her face, bleary-eyed, to stare at Beatrix. "M-my feelings for . . . for HIM . . .?"  
  
"Yes. What do you really think of Zidane's brother . . .?"  
  
Silence wrapped about the room, sinking into the frigid steel walls. Megan had the deer-caught-in-headlights expression on her face. She trembled, then spat and rose furiously to her feet.  
  
"I THINK HE'S AN INSUFFERABLE JACK-ASS AND I HOPE HE ROTS IN HELL!!!"  
  
Then the Summoner stormed, sobbing, from the room. Beatrix gaped after her, frowning, and got back to her feet. A small smile flicked across her features.  
  
". . . No she doesn't . . ."  
  
  
  
The Invincible had landed and now the crew stood before the entrance to the Fire Shrine. Only two possible outcomes awaited them there: either they won and Gaia could finally be at peace, or they lost and the threads of the universe became forfeit.  
  
"Well, it certainly LOOKS grim . . ." Lani cocked her head, staring at the base of the mountain. "But, well, you can't live your life based on speculation . . ."  
  
"Sure you can!" Eiko snapped. "We're all going to die and that's that . . ."  
  
"Hey, what happened to that talk we just had on the airship?!" Garnet hissed. "We're going to win, remember?"  
  
"Ah, right, right . . ."  
  
Zidane smirked, walking steadily through the heat-shimmering entrance of what was once Taki-Bi's lair. The air was stifling and the others were complaining almost immediately as they followed the genome in.  
  
The count-down was beginning . . . The fate of Gaia would be sealed . . . Already Terra was drifting lazily through space towards Gaia . . . Already Garland had absorbed the souls of innocents . . . Already Kuja and Mikoto stood blindly in the midst of chaos.  
  
Would they win or would they lose . . .? And what would they lose, even by winning?  
  
The passages were growing steadily darker as the team crept along. Fear was beginning to crawl up their spines. There would be no turning back this time . . . It was all going to end here . . .  
  
And then they were back in Taki-Bi's arena. The enormous chamber was lit and cleared, ready for battle. Indeed, it would all end here . . . Now they just had to wait for Garland and the cavalry to show up . . .  
  
"Scary, scary, scary, scary . . ." Eiko kept muttering, clutching her flute.  
  
"Gonna kill 'im, gonna kill 'im, gonna kill 'im, gonna kill 'im . . ." Of course, THAT was Amarant . . .  
  
And then it came . . . It was not unlike the breaking of the Apocalypse upon the world (if one is feeling cryptic . . .).  
  
WHOOSH!  
  
Flames erupted throughout the chamber. A cackling arose from the spreading wildfire that circled about the hall. The crew backed up, drawing weapons. A dark shadow was forming within the heat, rising slowly from the primordial soup. Flames twisted and curled towards the ceiling. The figure's laugh echoed against the stone walls.  
  
Then he emerged, not unlike like a spider crawling from its nest. White eyes were now a putrid, socket-black, gray hair flailing in the wind, black armor now lusterless, pieces of it morphed to android-metal. And in the center of this dark conglomeration was a red orb that glowed and pulsed fiercely with a light so burningly bright that if one dared to gaze into its depths they would go blind . . .  
  
Garland levitated into the air, snickering, and then landed lightly upon the floor – cape billowing dramatically behind him – before the flames. Muscles bulged where muscles had once not once been present on his thin frame, fangs glistened behind his disgusting lips where an even more atrocious smile twisted.  
  
"Oh my god . . ." Zidane's eyes were wide. "What the HELL did you do to yourself, man?!"  
  
"Thank you for the compliment . . ." Garland intoned softly. His voice now carried a slithering aura to it that formed an icy chill in the air when he spoke. "I have finally absorbed the power that I so deserve . . . I have reached a higher state of being – not unlike enlightenment . . . I can tap into powers now that only the gods could ever dream of! And when I have defeated you all, I shall absorb the souls of my first angel of death and that fiend, Saishoja . . . Then I will be the most powerful creature to ever grace the soils of Terra and Gaia combined!" Garland laughed maniacally, drunk delirious with his own victory. This was horribly familiar . . .  
  
"So, er, I guess this is what we would call the Final Battle, eh?" Freya queried, huffing and readying her spear. Garland looked thoughtful.  
  
"You COULD say that . . . But really . . . It's more of a show-down . . ."  
  
"No, it's a battle," Steiner corrected. "After all, it's the good-guys versus the final bad-guy and . . ." He stopped, realizing that what he'd just said had to be the stupidest thing to ever pass his lips. The knight bowed his head in shame. "I am . . . an idiot . . ."  
  
"You ARE an idiot . . ." Zidane hissed, clenching his daggers. "Heh! All of us against JUST HIM? Hehe . . .You fuggin' WISH, Steiner!"  
  
"Heh . . . Indeed . . ." Garland snapped his fingers. There was a very thick silence hanging above the chamber. Then they came, creeping from the shadows, slithering from the walls. The hallway, before so dark, was now lit by hundreds of glittering green eyes. They were drawing in from all sides, surrounding the crew and Garland. There were hundreds of them, like a sea of parasitic insects. Slinking here and there like cats, fangs bared, claws at the ready. The whipping of tails could be heard and the suppressed giggles of those wretched, god-be-damned geonomes . . .  
  
Garland glanced about blandly as these creatures of the night moved closer and closer, forming a circle of death around the heavily outnumbered team. Suffocating, stifling, groping for the kill . . .  
  
"Stop," Garland commanded. The geonomes quickly froze, still grinning and gnashing their teeth. The Terran overlord raised an eyebrow. "Drakja!"  
  
"Yes, Master . . .?" A shiver rippled across the room as the alpha-male strode arrogantly from the darkness. He swung his arms, head held high, sneering broadly as if he were already standing above the ruins of his victory-field . . . Smirking as if he'd already won . . . He moved into the circle beside Lulian who licked her lips, grinning devilishly at the crew she knew she was about to destroy. Ummei cowered nearby, whimpering and shaking his head. He was muttering something that sounded curiously like "I don' wanna . . .!" over and over again. Much to the horror of the crew, a young genome moved out from the circle and stood beside Garland, glaring at the crew with her bright, aqua eyes.  
  
"Oh gods . . . Garland, don't you DARE throw Mikoto into this!"  
  
Garland chuckled. "She obeys ME now, Zidane! This is one of the few things that will make her happy! Of course . . . This one here . . ." Garland raised an arm as Kuja stepped calmly out from behind him to flank the old man's side. "Doesn't understand happy or sad . . . He's just here to kill . . ."  
  
Kuja said nothing, just continued to stare vacantly at the floor. Garland was stroking his hair lovingly like a pet while keeping one hand affectionately on Mikoto's head. Zidane was feeling intensely nauseous.  
  
Garland glared at his quivering enemies. His eyes were black in color now – giving them the appearance of empty sockets, a part of the skin on his cheek was torn off to reveal wires and machinations of some kind; steel. What the old man had become, none of them knew . . . Years later, when the horror of those dark days had begun to dissipate, they would refer to this new creature as "Gigahertz Garland."  
  
Now they just wanted to call him dead . . .  
  
"Well?!" Zidane shouted. "What the hell are you waiting for?!!"  
  
Garland grinned. "If you're in a rush . . . GET 'EM!!!"  
  
There was a roar of crashing waves breaking upon the shore and before the crew could react, the circle of geonomes had collapsed inwards. A terrible cry burst through the room as metal clashed suddenly upon metal. Immediately, blood spurted.  
  
Drakja plowed through the group with increased vigor. Outnumbered by ten to one, Zidane's team was almost immediately dog-piled. But they fought valiantly, soon dragging themselves from the mess.  
  
The most memorable battle in the history of Gaia had begun . . .  
  
Zidane cried out furiously as seven geonomes leapt at him . . . all at once. He gripped his Ultima Weapon by the middle handle and swung with all his might. In one fell sweep four geonomes shrieked as blood exploded from their bodies, thrown off their feet from the force of the blast. Zidane whipped around, ready to take on the other three. But before he could even think about swinging the blade at least six others attacked.  
  
The rest of the team did the same, fending off as many geonomes as they possibly could yet finding that the more they wounded, the more came.  
  
Garland stood idly by at the back of the room, looking bored. "Kuja, take care of this mess, will you?"  
  
Kuja swung forward, ominous waves of magic swirling about his body. A hidden door nearby rumbled and churned open, allowing the warlock's beautiful silver dragon to storm, snarling, from elsewhere in the shrine. Kuja gripped the creature's neck and swung himself up. Then, with a roar, the dragon lifted a few feet into the air and dove like a bullet into the melee.  
  
There were scattered cries of horror as the dragon plowed through at least twenty people. Geonomes teleported urgently out of the way but one of the heroes – Steiner – wasn't fast enough. Weighed down by his armor, he could only gasp as the battering-ram head of the monster smacked him full force and sent the knight flying.  
  
"Steiner!" Beatrix cried out. The dragon landed and skid. At least two geonomes, too slow, were crushed beneath its weight. Blood sprayed into the battle arena as the fight continued to blaze. Everything was deafened with the sound of weapons and magic bursting throughout the chamber. There was nowhere to run. Every inch of the hall was being taken up by battle. It was like a war that had become compressed to the tiniest degree.  
  
But far out, in another area of the Fire Shrine altogether, someone was not fighting. Someone was lurking through the shadows of the dungeons . . . sneaking where none were supposed to be . . .  
  
Saishoja was striding almost nonchalantly through the cells, ignoring the stares of the released but unmoving genomes that sat, waiting for the fate of Gaia to be decided. Their aqua eyes followed him ominously through the hall. This curious man – with his silver tail and odd, ethereal glow – appeared to be looking for something. He whistled a tune, humming as he untied the ends of his blindfold and gently wrapped it around his wrist. The dead-man's bleached eyes stared forward into the darkness as his own, separate gaze roved across the cells.  
  
"I know it's here somewhere . . .!" he sang, smirking. "And I'm gonna find it!"  
  
Then he stopped, cocking his head. The cell to his right was the only one occupied by something that did not appear to be your average, every-day blonde genome. There was a man in it, but a man that did not appear very . . . solid. It seemed to be some sort of hologram, flickering and quivering, the image sometimes fading out completely. The picture's form was of an unconscious boy slumped against the wall with shimmering silver hair and four luxurious feathers sprouting from his part. The man, though in a state of death, could best be described as stunningly beautiful. Saishoja's sightless eyes widened and he clutched onto the bars, staring into the cell.  
  
"My god . . . I found him . . ."  
  
Of course, Saishoja knew better than to think this was a hologram. Due to past experience (and the fact that he WAS one) Saishoja knew this to most definitely be a soul. Kuja's soul . . .  
  
"I don't believe it . . ." Saishoja stared at the warlock's fading spirit imprisoned within the Fire Shrine. "That dirty bastard . . . I knew it . . . I KNEW Kuja's soul was the same as . . . Heh. Garland thinks reusing souls won't make a difference . . . He's preserving them, right . . .? More like denying their family in the afterlife from seeing them!"  
  
Saishoja sighed, closing his eyes and leaning his forehead against the cool bars that he couldn't feel.  
  
"If I let the soul fade out now . . . Then I can see Him again . . . But then what would stop Garland from finding it later . . .? No, defeating Garland comes first. I will make him pay . . ."  
  
"I will make him pay for robbing my son's soul from me . . ."  
  
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Zidane gasped for breath, backing up against the wall. Mikoto was walking steadily towards him, dagger in hand.  
  
"Gods . . . My sister's tryin' to kill me . . ." the thief was stupefied, raising his own weapon. "What the hell am I supposed to do now?!"  
  
Suddenly, Mikoto ducked as the dragon – ridden by the ever-powerful Kuja – swooped by in a shower of ivory feathers. Zidane covered his head, wincing.  
  
Nearby, Drakja was laughing. "Go get 'em!" he teased, watching as Zidane inched away from his murderous sister. Then there was a shriek.  
  
"Argh, Dagger!" Zidane gasped, looking up just in time to see Garnet stumble backwards from three giggling geonomes. Dark red blossomed across the midriff of her butter-yellow suit.  
  
"You bastards!" Zidane abandoned Mikoto, rushing towards his fiancé.  
  
"No, Zidane!" Garnet cried out. "I'm fine, run!"  
  
"No, I – " Zidane suddenly realized what the queen had been pushing him away for. The genome made a frantic dive and felt his hair blow wildly in a fluttering wind as the dragon came shooting over him, grazing his very head with its downy belly.  
  
Several geonomes plus Beatrix stopped and stared, mouths gaping. "Yowch,"  
  
The dragon landed with a heavy thud in front of Zidane. Several geonomes rushed out of the way just in time. The blonde soon found himself staring up into the unforgiving eyes of a monster with steam blasting from its nostrils.  
  
"Aw, shit . . . GUYS, I NEED BACK UP!!!"  
  
But none could come. Every last member of the team was pitted against gangs more than they could handle. Zidane would have to fight this one out alone . . .  
  
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Amarant laughed (which was a rare sight), his claws sinking into the neck of an unsuspecting geonome. It screamed in agony, seizing, and then fell limply from the talon's blades and into a pool of its own putrid blood. Lani giggled.  
  
"Nice!" She swung her axe at another pair but they teleported away. Vivi was shaking uncontrollably as he watched a geonome curl up in smoke before him.  
  
"I . . . I don't wanna kill . . ."  
  
"Oh, just hang in there, Vivi . . .!" Eiko was standing nearby, ready to cast healing magic when necessary. The other members of the group were scattered about, battling to the death.  
  
"Hey, you there! Get outta the way!" Lani was yelling at Megan who stood huddled in the corner, unable to fight. Megan blinked, then yelped as a stray Firaga bloomed in her direction. She dove out of the way just in time to watch the corner become enveloped in flames.  
  
The battle was heating up . . . The higher ranking geonomes needed to work very little as their henchmen were making enough of a mess as it was.  
  
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Garland strode calmly to where Zidane kneeled, petrified, staring into the burning eyes of Kuja's dragon.  
  
"Well, now isn't this interesting . . .?" the elder queried. "What're you going to do, Zidane?"  
  
"Picture how many ways I wish this dragon would kill you instead . . .!" was the snapped response.  
  
"Ah, temper, temper . . ."  
  
"Oh, fuck off," Zidane was glaring up at the dragon. Any second now Kuja was going to command it to attack. /Great . . . Just great . . ./.  
  
But Zidane saw the oddest thing at that moment, something which he was positive no one else had seen. The dragon . . . winked . . . at him . . .  
  
Of course, Zidane knew dragons couldn't wink. But he was under the impression that if they could, that's exactly what this dragon would have done.  
  
"Oh for crying out loud, I'm bored already . . .!" Garland snapped. "Kuja, just have the damn dragon kill him for god's sake and give me his god- forsaken soul!"  
  
Kuja didn't move. Neither did the dragon. Garland's face fell into a frown, his ebony eyes narrowing.  
  
". . . Well? What are you waiting for . . .?"  
  
Kuja said nothing. Garland sighed, remembering that Kuja was still an empty shell. "Kuja, TELL me what you're waiting for . . ."  
  
Kuja hung his head, eyes sad, his voice lowered to a soft, robotic monotone. "The dragon says it cannot kill his master's brother and it refuses to obey the orders of any other than the aforementioned master,"  
  
Garland's face flared with fury. "WHAT?!! BUT YOU /ARE/ HIS MASTER!!!"  
  
Zidane was breathing deeply, staring up at the dragon in astonishment. It shook out its feathery neck, seeming to smirk. Kuja didn't respond. Garland was growling.  
  
"Kuja, tell me why it won't obey you!"  
  
". . . The dragon says I am not Kuja . . . It says I am nothing more than an empty shell with your embittered spirit stuffed into the body . . ."  
  
Zidane snorted despite himself. /Ooh! Burn, hehe! The dragon's got guts!/  
  
Garland was shaking with fury. "Heathen creature of the damned!" He pulled back a fist as if to punch the dragon but Zidane almost immediately spotted the spell crackling between his fingers. He made to cry out when suddenly the dragon shrieked and lashed out at Garland with its powerful, whip-like tail. And for all the power Garland had ever had, years of allowing others to do his dirty work had left the man with ONLY his power and no real intelligence for using it. It was, through this fault of his, that he was completely and utterly caught off guard by this sudden attack.  
  
SMACK.  
  
The powerful slam of the tail hit the old Terran full force. He stumbled backwards but had, unfortunately, had a barrier up the entire time. But something happened then that, though unnoticed by most of the geonomes, caused a few of Zidane's team members nearby to pause in their attacks and gape.  
  
Mikoto – who was waiting obediently a few feet away – suddenly gasped as if resurfacing from water and suppressed a scream. The dagger that had previously been clenched in her hands slipped from her fingers and clattered to the floor. She stared down at her trembling hand and then, dazedly, touched her face.  
  
"Oh . . . Oh my god . . ."  
  
Mikoto stumbled backwards and hit the wall. Then she stood there, shaking fiercely and crying like a child. But that was the least of Zidane's worries. Something else happened then that concerned the genome much, much more than that.  
  
Atop the silver dragon, Kuja suddenly gagged, his eyes flashing.  
  
". . . N-no . . ." the silver-haired sorcerer gasped.  
  
Garland – who had just regained his balance – blinked and swore just as the young warlock choked and slipped sideways off his beast.  
  
"Argh! God damnit!" Garland charged forward and, quite amazingly, caught Kuja's unconscious form just before he hit the ground. The dragon hissed, backing away from the loathsome man. Zidane was watching fearfully, the raging and screaming of his comrades and enemies dying out around him as he closed himself off from the chaos of the Fire Shrine. What he'd just seen . . . Could it be that . . .?  
  
"Stand up!" Garland ordered, trying vainly to support Kuja's limp form. The old man hurriedly stood the silver-haired genome on his feet and pressed a palm firmly against his forehead, keeping one hand on Kuja's back to keep him standing. A faint light rippled about Kuja's body before his blank eyes snapped open yet again, seemingly back to his empty, puppet self. Then he took a step forward and stood perfectly straight, all signs of his previous plight now gone.  
  
Garland sighed, turning away from Kuja to glance at Zidane. He scowled. "And just what are YOU smirking about?!"  
  
Zidane was standing up slowly, smiling. "I've got you, Garland. I've found your weakness . . ."  
  
The Terran overlord raised a bushy gray eyebrow. "Oho? And just what would that be, hmm?"  
  
"When you lose your concentration, you lose control over anyone you are controlling," The ex-thief smiled superiorly. Garland flinched but hurriedly regained his composure.  
  
"Yes, that's absolutely true. But there's only one problem, Zidane," Garland placed his hands on his hips, grinning. "You see, if that's the case, then if you attack me and I break my concentration, I lose control over Kuja . . . Which means I would no longer have control over his life expectancy. He would die immediately. What you just saw now was luck, Zidane. I happened to be there in time. But next time you attack me, your brother might not be so lucky,"  
  
"I DON'T CARE!" Zidane screamed. "I'VE MADE MY DECISION, GARLAND!!! IF KUJA IS DOOMED TO PERISH BEFORE THIS BATTLE IS OVER, THEN I WILL GLADLY STAND BY AND WATCH HIM DIE!!!"  
  
"Fine then," Garland glowered. "Kuja, get him!"  
  
Kuja stepped daintily towards Zidane who backed up, snarling.  
  
"I'll kill you!" he threatened. "I swear I will!"  
  
Kuja charged. But this time, no fear of killing the warlock was stopping Zidane. The decision was made. If he had to fight his brother to the death, so be it.  
  
"Die!" Zidane swung his blade but Kuja ducked and then propelled himself at the young genome, knocking him to the floor. Nearby, Zidane heard Garnet scream. Had she been watching the entire time?! She was supposed to be battling! Kuja raised his head as if, for a moment, considering going after the source of the scream. Fear instantly overcame Zidane and, in that second, he swung the blade hard at Kuja's head. The flat-end of one of the swords hit the sorcerer so hard that he was knocked sideways. Zidane gasped, shocked at his own sudden attack, and sat up. Kuja slumped over on the ground, dazed from the head-wound. Garland growled and began to stomp towards Kuja. But the dragon roared angrily and dodged in front of him, blocking his path.  
  
Of course, Garland could have easily blasted the dragon out of the way with his new-found Gigahertz powers. However, the damage at that moment was done before the thought even crossed his mind . . .  
  
There was a flash of light that caused everyone within fifty feet to hiss and cease their actions. Fratley was cursing, shielding his eyes with one clawed hand as two geonomes that had previously been latched onto him with their teeth dropped off and backed away.  
  
Then he appeared in a brilliant shower of luminescence. Silver hair blowing elegantly in the phantom wind, the ends of his ebony blindfold shifting in the breeze. Held like a child in his arms was what appeared to be a hologram of Kuja – unmoving and fading out. Garland's mouth fell open, horrified, and he took a step away from the sudden trespassers. For the first time since Kuja's Trance on Terra, the crew saw fear in Garland's eyes.  
  
"S-Saishoja . . .!" the old man gasped.  
  
So Saishoja had returned . . . The only man he'd ever feared . . .  
  
Garland glared at the newcomer, bristling. "You . . . You . . .!"  
  
"Yes, me," Saishoja grinned. "I'm back, Garland. What's been taking you so long anyways? Why haven't you come after me yet?"  
  
"I . . . I . . . You!"  
  
Saishoja breathed a long, heavy sigh. "Yes, Garland, yes, it's me! Now, if you'd kindly stay where you are behind that dragon and let me work, maybe I won't stick around to watch your body bleed to death . . ."  
  
Garland smirked. "I don't bleed anymore, Saishoja. I've become the Gigahertz, in case you hadn't noticed . . ."  
  
"Blah, blah, blah, world domination, blah, blah, blah, assimilation, blah, blah, blah, blah, SHUT UP!"  
  
Saishoja's teeth were bared. "Shut . . . up . . . Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to relieve myself of carrying this soul,"  
  
Garland blinked, dumbstruck, then gasped.  
  
"You BASTARD!!! YOU WOULDN'T /DARE/!!!"  
  
"Wouldn't I, Garland? Wouldn't I?"  
  
Zidane clenched a fist fearfully. /I don't understand . . . What's Saishoja going to do . . .? W-wait . . . He's not . . . He's not going to give Kuja his soul back, is he?! No, he can't! Then Garland would lose control over Kuja and Kuja would die!!!/  
  
"No, Saishoja, stop!" Zidane yelled, failing to notice that quite a lot of the fighting around him had subsided or stopped completely. "If you do that, Kuja will DIE!!!"  
  
"Exactly!" Garland shrieked, panicking. "You wouldn't kill your own heir, would you?!!"  
  
". . .You're tempting me . . ." a fanged grin spread across Saishoja's lips, his tail snapping the ground irritably.  
  
/Why . . .?/ Zidane thought desperately. /Why . . .?! Why would Saishoja do this?!! He's supposed to be on OUR side!/  
  
"Well, here goes nothin'," Saishoja began muttering some incantation, a light beginning to shimmer through the aura of his form.  
  
"No!" Garland moved forward and the dragon, snarling, backed out of his way. Zidane's eyes were wide and shining with fear.  
  
"Saishoja, STOP!!!"  
  
Saishoja's invisible gaze fell in Zidane's direction, freezing the young genome's insides. Then he whispered two, simple words . . .  
  
"Trust me,"  
  
Garland cried out like a cornered animal and raced towards where Kuja was hurriedly regaining his composure (and his need to kill Zidane).  
  
"Hurry! Hurry! UP!!!" Garland gripped Kuja's arms hard and began to drag him to his feet. Suddenly, the sorcerer stumbled and clutched Garland's wrists, gasping. Garland's face fell.  
  
". . . Shit . . ."  
  
Saishoja was laughing hysterically, the flickering image of Kuja completely gone. "Too late, Garland! If I were you, I'd back away from him . . .!"  
  
Garland, though snapping that he saw no reason to do so, dropped Kuja and stumbled backwards. Zidane had his hands over his mouth.  
  
"No . . . No . . .!"  
  
Kuja – slumped over on the floor – clenched a fist near his chest, coughing. "Wh-wha . . .? Wh-where AM I?!" He looked around with his dazed white eyes, trembling. "Oh geez . . ."  
  
Zidane made a move to run towards his brother when something leapt on top of him, knocking him to the floor.  
  
"Argh! God damn geonomes, I forgot this was the final battle!"  
  
Reality came back as a cold slap in the face. Looking around, Zidane saw his people, struggling and exhausting themselves as geonomes attacked and fell dead around them. The floor was littered with the bodies of slaughtered enemies, some so young they were still considered children. And Zidane could see his own team beginning to fail. Vivi was no longer standing and Freya was trying hurriedly to drag him out of the way of battle.  
  
Zidane felt a cold blast flutter past his head and felt the weight of the geonome blown off him. Blinking in confusion, Zidane looked up to see Saishoja standing proudly above his fallen form, holding out one flawless hand for the genome to latch onto. Frowning, Zidane took it and allowed Saishoja to pull him back onto his feet.  
  
"Excellent," Saishoja grinned. "We should go defeat Garland together,"  
  
"No, stay away from me!" Zidane nearly sobbed, recoiling from the soul. "You just killed my brother!"  
  
Saishoja's lip twitched slightly as though he found Zidane somewhat amusing. "Did I, Zidane?"  
  
"Yes, you did!"  
  
"Oh, come now!" Saishoja laughed, glancing back to make sure Garland was still far enough away that they were safe. "Do you honestly think I would do anything that stupid without some legitimate motive for doing so?!"  
  
"Yes, you would!" Zidane yelled. "If it was a selfish goal or simply a personal gain! You don't care about me or Kuja or even Gaia for that matter!"  
  
Saishoja smirked. "Trust me,"  
  
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() ()()()()()()()()  
  
Kuja stood there, the rain lashing violently against his face.  
  
"I SURRENDER!!!" he screamed, arms open, voice dying on the wild wind. The sky was pitch black, the city of Alexandria smudged out in the boiling storm. He felt the movement behind him as the rain lashed violently against his face.  
  
/I'm sorry, Brahne . . . I failed you . . ./ he thought, speaking to the imprisoned souls held within him. A gentle, reassuring voice responded.  
  
/. . . It's not your fault . . . Your brother will save us . . ./  
  
Then he gasped, pain flooding his vision as Kuja felt the hot needle in his back, tugging him inside-out. He panted, sinking to the roof, the insane laughter of Drakja echoing behind him.  
  
/Just let it end . . .!/ he thought miserably. /Please . . .! Let it end . . .!!!/  
  
Darkness overtook him as Kuja hit the roof. Everything went black.  
  
"No . . . No . . .!"  
  
Kuja blinked. /What the . . .?/  
  
And then he was somewhere else.  
  
. . . Just like that . . .  
  
Completely and utterly dazed, Kuja stared about, his vision still blurred as he returned from what he had been sure was death only seconds earlier. He was even lying in the exact same position on the floor. It was like he'd passed out, closed his eyes, opened his eyes, and found his body moved somewhere completely different when no time at all had actually passed.  
  
"Wh-wha . . .? Wh-where AM I?!" He was coughing, shaking uncontrollably. There was an unbearable pain coursing through every inch of his body. He was finding it difficult to breathe. "Oh geez . . ."  
  
Kuja stood up shakily, clenching a fist near his chest. He was amazed he'd been able to stand (though he felt himself growing weaker every second). His somewhat doubled vision locked on Garland and the warlock frowned.  
  
". . . the hell?"  
  
Garland looked crestfallen, staring at Kuja as if he'd just been diving for apples and dropped one seconds before breaking the surface.  
  
"Well, Kuja, it was nice knowing you," Garland muttered, glaring fixedly at his creation. Kuja blinked.  
  
". . . What . . .?"  
  
"Your purpose has been fulfilled. You, Kuja of the Shi Tribe, have been officially terminated. Good day,"  
  
And, as if these words had some sort of power over him, Kuja suddenly felt as if a pair of fists had grabbed his lungs and rushed the air from his chest. The sorcerer blinked, too shocked to even realize what had happened. The silver-haired genome sniggered, delirious and astounded by the utter stupidity of the whole thing as the physical shock finally set in.  
  
"Hehe . . . Aw, fuck . . ."  
  
Choking, Kuja dropped to his knees, gasping for the air he couldn't receive.  
  
Nearby, as if in another world, he heard Zidane's voice screaming.  
  
"No! Let me go to him!"  
  
"No, Zidane! No, you'll get killed! Believe me!"  
  
Kuja furrowed his brow, unable to fully understand the words he was hearing as everything began to swirl about him. That voice . . . So like his own . . . Saishoja . . .?  
  
There was a battle raging around him. People were screaming. Zidane was being held back by someone who was glowing. Kuja could just barely see them. There was a fierce pounding in his ears.  
  
/I'm going to die . . ./ He realized, too numb to care. /My limit has come . . . What did my mages call it? Stopping? Yes . . . This is what stopping is like . . ./.  
  
The reel began to play, the one he'd always heard about when someone has a near-death experience. The reassessment of one's life as everything flashes before your eyes. Kuja saw everything like a movie he had no control over. That's when the horror began . . .  
  
/Flash/  
  
"Why has no one prayed for my son's soul to rest?!!"  
  
"Sir, they cannot find it!"  
  
/Flash/  
  
"Master Garland, I don't want to kill anymore!"  
  
/Flash/  
  
"Alone for awhile, I've been searching through the dark . . ."  
  
/Flash/  
  
"BURNING! BURNING! THE SUMMONER VILLAGE IS BURNING!!!"  
  
/Flash/  
  
"No . . . No gods, please . . . Why are you doing this to me . . .?!!"  
  
/Flash/  
  
"So far and away, see the bird as it flies by . . ."  
  
/Flash/  
  
"Kuja, wait! Don't leave me!!! KUJA!!!"  
  
/Flash/  
  
"I hate you! I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!"  
  
/Flash/  
  
"Who is he? Who is the one that has done this to you?"  
  
/Flash/  
  
Fire, burning, pain, death . . .  
  
/Flash/  
  
"What is his name?!! Tell me the name of the man who has done this to you!"  
  
/Flash/  
  
So much pain . . . Just let me die . . . Please . . .  
  
I don't want to be alone anymore . . .  
  
/Flash/  
  
WHO IS THE MAN?!! TELL ME HIS NAME!!!  
  
/Flash/  
  
He saw them. His brother and his comrades. They were dying, the forces of Garland overpowering them. The little mage was unconscious, Mikoto was sobbing in the corner. What had Garland done to her?! Blood was flowing like a red river across the floor, geonomes littering the ground, some still clinging to the life they should have had. The queen was injured, limping, she was falling.  
  
So much destruction . . . Death and pain . . . The world of Gaia was ending.  
  
/Who is the man that did this?!/ the demanding voice screamed over and over and over again. /Who is he?!! WHAT – IS – HIS – NAME?!!!/  
  
Kuja hit the floor hard, the last breath in his body fading. Can't remember, can't remember . . . Anger, anger, anger. They were all going to die . . . Every . . . Last . . . One . . .  
  
Hatred, hatred, resentment, pain, pain, pain. He was going to die hating, die in physical agony. No, no, no . . . He closed his eyes, ready to finally end it all, subside the pounding of fury in his ears.  
  
WHO DID THIS TO YOU?!! WHO?!!  
  
BAM.  
  
His eyes snapped open. And he remembered.  
  
If he hadn't watched his life flash before his eyes, the very drugs of death would have made him forget who, who had done this to them all . . . A faint snarl escaped his lips and he found himself clenching a fist he would have been incapable of pulling seconds before. Someone was standing a few feet away, smiling warmly upon him.  
  
"Yes . . . Be angry . . . Only you can save them now . . ."  
  
"Angry . . ." Kuja murmured, eyelids fluttering in exhaustion. "I hate him . . ."  
  
"You'll die before him . . ."  
  
"Never . . ."  
  
"Then go get him . . ." There was a pause. "Tell me the name of the man that did this to you, your brother, Gaia, everyone . . ."  
  
Kuja gasped and he felt sudden power explode through every fiber of his being.  
  
"GARLAAAAAAAAAAAAAND!!!!"  
  
WHOOSH.  
  
The ground cracked, splitting across the seams, roiling magma shifting thickly beneath it. Darkness seemed to billow towards the ceiling. Almost everyone in the room was knocked off their feet as if smacked with the force of a sack of bricks. The walls shook, tentacles of black energy rocked the hall. Garland hit the wall hard, struck too dumb to contemplate what could have thrown a Gigahertz off its feet. Everyone was down, geonomes screamed in fear. Saishoja had vanished. A thick dust was settling as flames erupted and swooped up the walls.  
  
He rose slowly in the heat like a monster reawakening from the depths of Hell. His shoulders were hunched with his eternal pain, body shaking. Black feathers rustled in cold, hate-filled air, magic curling up from the dust. His lips had become a charcoal black, his body rippling with muscle and ebony fur. His tail, now ringed with black, curled upon the floor, his night-colored hair shifting as he straightened his hunch. Twilight-eyes glinted hungrily, pale face twitching with fury. A hiss escaped his throat, the name of the one creature he would make suffer that night:  
  
". . . Garland . . ."  
  
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() ()()()()()()  
  
A/N: Ooh, what just happened, henh?! I love how utterly confusing this chapter was. I probably befuddled the minds of everyone reading this thing and I respect this chapter for that, lol. But I guess I'll just be sittin' here on the sidelines wavin' my little flag and singing "GO KUJA GO!!! GO KUJA GO!!!" And my reviewers will be singing "DIE GARLAND DIE!!! DIE GARLAND DIE!!!" Ah, the joy . . .  
  
Heh, one of my friends read this chapter and said something to the affect of "I think you and your entire cast have gone mental" lol. I think she might be right . . . But since I didn't invent most of the cast, y'all really can't blame me . . . Hmm, couple of important notes . . . Uh, for one thing, there was a very small reference to the movie "The Crow" in the above chapter, but you wouldn't have caught it unless you'd seen the movie several times and were familiar with some of its famous quotes (as I am, hehe). Also, as one of my friends made an allusion to this, I'll confirm now that Saishoja is DEFINITELY not evil . . . Okay, I know he came off evil in this chapter what with the whole "BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! MY ACTIONS ARE GOING TO KILL KUJA AND I DON'T CARE!!! MAH . . . MAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!" But I swear, he does it all with good intent . . . Also, I just saw the third Harry Potter movie and my pathetic love for Sirius Black has now come back for revenge . . . I think Kuja's jealous, heehee.  
  
Kuja: Am not!  
  
BMD: Are too! hugs Sirius  
  
Sirius: Smirk  
  
Kuja: Grrrrrrrrrr . . .  
  
And because of my love for Sirius, the word "veil" has been officially removed from the English language . . . Those of you who have read the entire series know what I'm talkin' about . . . . evil glare From now on, the word "veil" has been replaced with "Hell-curtain" and the word "arch" (only in terms of the structure) has been replaced with "Evil bearer of the Hell-curtain." So there, hmph . . . bursts into tears regardless  
  
REVIEW MY FICCYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!! Or suffer!!!  
  
Oh god . . . passes out from heat  
  
Ooh, and a question. Anonymous(), sorry about the delay, lol. Um, it was DEFINITELY my dad not reading it in time pokes dad He was on a business trip and he told me to e-mail the chapter to him when I was done, but then I had a difficult time writing part of the chapter (mostly the battle stuff) and didn't get it to him. Which meant it would have been delayed maybe a DAY, except that my DAD pokes dad again didn't read it until, like, three or four days after he came back because he had "work to do" (hah!). As for the poems at the end, that wasn't to make the chapter longer (the chapter was already one of the longest yet by itself) but simply because, while perusing my Word documents, I stumbled across them and was, like, "Dude!" Very sorry, for the delay. Here's my question to you: You said your school year just started. Well, mine just ended, lol. I was just wondering where you lived . . . (just curious, you don't have to tell me grin). 


	47. The Final Battle Part 2: Redemption

A/N: Well, this is it . . . The last real chapter . . . sniffle Just about everything is revealed in this one . . . and we finally get to see who wins . . . and who loses . . . This is also the official longest chapter coming it at thirty pages! This is definitely the chapter I know almost everyone's been waitin' for . . . 'cept for me. Hehe, just a warning, don't be surprised by ANYTHING that happens in this chapter. I remember laughing when I first constructed the ending because it was such a messy, unusual finish. But it's not like anyone reading this was expecting a NORMAL last chapter, right? I mean, come on! I built this story on randomness . . . I just wanna say though, that the reviews for the last chapter were SO SWEET!!! I'm glad to know you guys enjoy and appreciate this story (and LordK . . . reels that review was so kind of you! But, alas, the chances of a Final Fantasy IX-2 are slim to none sigh. Still, that had to be one of the sweetest things anyone's ever said to me TT I appreciate it!). And because I love ya guys so much for all this, if you read the second author's note I'll tell y'all somethin' cool. Till then, read on! It's time to find out who deserves to DIE!!!  
  
Disclaimer: C'mon Square! This is my last god damn chapter (other than the epilogue, heehee)! Couldn't you at least let me own your company for a DAY?!! No? Jerks . . .  
  
  
  
"I am the alpha and the omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end."  
  
– Messiah, Nanase Hikaru ("Angel Sanctuary" soundtrack)  
  
Zidane sat there gaping wordlessly.  
  
"Oh . . . my . . . gods . . . What . . . the . . . HELL . . .?!!"  
  
All action within the Fire Shrine had ceased. Zidane, Eiko, Garnet, Steiner, Beatrix, Freya, Fratley, Amarant, Lani, Megan, Vivi, Garland, Drakja, and every last living geonome within the arena had stopped where they had fallen and sat there, staring. Some had been knocked down while still in the heat of combat. Nearby, Chikara finally – after being thrown viciously from his feet – released his hold on Fratley's neck. The latter gagged and gave Chikara a reproachful look. Several feet away, Eiko had been knocked out completely and Garnet was shielding the young girl fearfully, her eyes flickering occasionally back to Vivi to make sure the other child of the group was alright.  
  
All eyes were locked upon the one figure still standing. Kuja was snarling, his lip curled. What had happened to him, none knew. They'd just seen him DIE . . . They'd watched him collapse to the floor, they'd heard his screams of pain, and then they'd heard him go silent in death . . . Yet here he stood . . . a trembling monolith of darkness.  
  
Where his silver hair had once flowed, there was now a layering of ebony feathers. His body, as well, was furred with black, his clothes shredded and torn, giving the sorcerer the appearance of a battered flag on the losing side of a battle-field. The very aura of his presence had nearly quintupled; he was pulsing with vicious, dark energy.  
  
Zidane was the first to speak.  
  
"K . . . Kuja . . .?"  
  
Kuja hissed, his black eyes wild, as he whipped in Zidane's direction. His teeth were bared, fists clenched. Zidane recoiled. His brother looked like a maddened, wounded animal. Did Kuja even know who his brother was anymore . . .? It didn't appear that way . . .  
  
"Zidane . . ." Kuja growled. "Stay out of this . . . This is MY fight . . ."  
  
Garland was breathing heavily, scowling, as he lay back against the greasy stone wall. There was a dull clanking coming closer, a limping sort of tap as if one of the creature's legs was shorter than the other. Garland's forehead creased and he looked up.  
  
And then the overlord saw the pair of feet coming to a halt before his own. Garland gazed at them. They seemed almost bare; only a black ring was wrapped around the sole of each as if the frame of the person's shoes had been torn off. A white and black-ringed tail was sweeping the ground between them in an agitated motion. Raising his eyes slowly, Garland took in the muscular frame, the ripples of black fur and feathers, the torn rags of clothes, and the ebony-feathered hair. The creature's charcoal-black lips twisted into a grin. Its teeth should have been a blinding white against the dark lips, but they were stained red with blood. Then Garland's eyes met his nemesis's and his breath hitched in his throat. The eyes were like endless pools of darkness and there was nothing contained within them but cold, wrathful anger. All rationality was gone. It was then, for the first time, that Garland realized the monster he had created.  
  
". . . Kuja . . ." Garland whispered, gasping for the words that wouldn't come. He cowered beneath his creation's pulsing gaze. That crimson grin grew wider.  
  
"It's fun, isn't it, Garland?" Kuja queried softly, staring down his nose at the man who had once ripped the very soul from his body. "Isn't it wonderful to sit there and know your life is coming steadily to a close?" Kuja waited a moment, smiling. Then his face flared with a fury even the likes of the gods had never seen and a furious wind exploded from the warlock's body, wrapping about the entire room. His feathery hair billowed in the minute storm, his shredded hakama flapping against his legs.  
  
"ANSWER ME!!!" the genome screamed, his eyes wide and hideous as they turned upon their master. Garland shivered like a frightened animal and drew himself closer to the wall's traitorous sanctuary. For a moment, Kuja stood there, a twisted, vengeful monster. Then the winds died down and he pulled back, sniffing disdainfully.  
  
"You are a pathetic excuse for a mortal . . ." He snarled bitterly, spitting at Garland's feet. For a moment, the chamber remained still. None of the onlookers could speak, for they were far more stunned than Garland himself. Kuja clenched a fist at his side, eyes flashing.  
  
"I would delight in watching you die . . . If not just for the pleasure of knowing I will take you down with me . . ."  
  
Nearby, Zidane was trembling. "What . . . What HAPPENED to him?!!"  
  
"He Tranced," a sly voice responded. Zidane gasped and looked up from where he sat to see Saishoja standing at his side, a faint smirk etched upon his pale lips.  
  
"Tranced?! But the souls – "  
  
"Exactly," Saishoja grinned. "Kuja doesn't have the souls to allow him to Trance anymore. This is what Kuja's Trance REALLY looks like. The souls were what turned his Trance red, probably induced by the insane blood-lust they gave him. But this is what the REAL Kuja looks like when he's mad: corrupted by darkness and pain, not the need to spill blood . . ."  
  
Garland's milky eyes widened. He had forgotten in his fear that Kuja was on his last threads. The souls were gone – the only thing that had sustained him for the past three years – and the limit was drawing forward at an alarmingly rapid pace. But if that was true, then how had Kuja Tranced? If he had ever been able to do so at all? His question, oddly enough, was answered once again by the notorious Saishoja.  
  
"Do you see now what I had intended, Zidane?"  
  
Zidane looked up dazedly at the dead-man. "Wh-what do you mean . . .?"  
  
"Why, it's simple," Saishoja explained. "I knew that by allowing Kuja to die, he would see his life flash before his eyes. Of course, I knew that from past experience . . . Then he would see all the horrible things that had happened to him and become so furious he would Trance. The powers that the Trance gives him will be able to sustain Kuja for several more hours at least! Which, of course, will be just long enough for him to finish Garland off,"  
  
Garland blinked, then chuckled, shaking his head sadly. Every last soul within the room was watching, some fascinated, others scared out of their wits.  
  
"Oh, Kuja, you sadden me . . . You always tried so hard to live . . . I could still save your life, yet you choose to kill me instead,"  
  
Kuja smirked, eyes flashing wickedly. "What have I to live for?" he queried, a low growl rising within his throat. "They can go on," He signaled to the crew behind him; Zidane, Garnet, Freya, Fratley, Beatrix, Eiko, Vivi, Steiner, Amarant, Lani, and yes, even Megan. "They will fight on . . . And they will beat the geonomes," Kuja signaled now to the dozens, possibly hundreds, of beings sitting up and cowering fearfully by the walls. Several lay sprawled upon the floor, dead. And even among the crew, one face remained missing . . .  
  
Garland trembled, staring at his spawn. Never before, in all the years he had known the wretched thing, had Kuja seemed so confident. All the fear and doubt – once hidden behind a mask of make-up and a sneer – were now snuffed for the first time. There he stood, Tranced from his own dying soul, and still he was smiling. For once Garland knew . . .  
  
He wasn't going to win this battle . . .  
  
"Well, are you going to finish it, Kuja?" Garland snapped. "Or will you stand there gloating for the rest of the day until you finally drop dead?"  
  
Kuja chuckled, and in his hand glowed a single, fatal Ultima. The gift from the Souls . . .  
  
"So I shall end it . . . And so I shall end our suffering . . ."  
  
But as Kuja raised his arm – the torn rags of his sleeves shifting as he moved – the sorcerer suddenly stopped. For a moment he stood there as if hesitating from his task. Garland eyes were still slammed shut tight in fear. He opened one lid fearfully and for a fleeting second thought Kuja was reconsidering the punishment. Then, suddenly, a single tear fell from Kuja's eye. It cut the air with a swoop, and the moment it made contact with the floor and broke, a gasp passed from his lips.  
  
There was a cry from behind him like the sound of a strangled dog. For a moment Kuja stood there, disbelieving, and then something exploded from his midriff. In the chamber, Garnet screamed and clutched Zidane. Other than her, there was silence. No one had yet to comprehend what had happened.  
  
Kuja looked down slowly as all eyes became focused on him. The reddened blade of a sword stuck out from his body like a bloody flagpole. He blinked and – as if in a trance – finally looked over his shoulder.  
  
Drakja stood there, stooped and clutching the hilt of his dulled sword. His emerald eyes were wild as he stared at the entrance-wound; straight through Kuja's back. He was gasping for breath, trembling with inexplicable, loyal rage. His eyes and that of his victim's locked and suddenly it seemed to everyone in the room that Kuja's eyes had returned – if not for a second – to their milky blindness. But there was something else that none of them could explain. It seemed a hallucination as they watched. Drakja, breathing hard, wrenched the sword from Kuja's body. Blood splattered to the floor as Drakja stared at the weapon in his hands. Then, as if his hands were shaking too hard to hold it, he dropped the blade and put one trembling claw to his eyes. When he withdrew it, it was wet.  
  
He was crying . . .  
  
A hush fell upon the chamber. Garland's black eyes widened as he gazed lethargically at Kuja who stood there, his eyes flickering with some strange thought. Garland didn't even flinch as a drop of crimson blood dripped from the black-haired sorcerer's wound and splashed upon the fleshy side of his face.  
  
At Zidane's side, Saishoja gasped with . . . delight?  
  
"It worked!" the soul panted, seemingly unable to contain his joy. "I knew it! I KNEW the fool would do it!"  
  
"You . . . BASTARD . . .!" Zidane grit his teeth. Saishoja just shook his head, laughing.  
  
"I'm still on your side, Zidane! You just watch!"  
  
But Zidane didn't believe it. He was too busy watching the horrors unfolding only twenty or so feet away from him to care about anything else.  
  
Drakja was shaking, green eyes blazing as he stared down upon his tear- stained hand.  
  
". . . Why . . .? Ngh . . .!!!"  
  
The geonome gasped, clutching his head before collapsing to his knees, screaming in agony as the memories began to return . . . shattering his fragile sanity.  
  
/Flash/  
  
"I thought I told my soldiers not to let you in . . ." Saishoja was growling, his white eyes piercing into Drakja's with a look of pure death, willing the other man off his camp-grounds simply with his countenance.  
  
Drakja snorted. "As if . . ." Saishoja frowned.  
  
"Your teleportation would be useless if I were to kill you now . . ."  
  
"Would you?" Drakja arched a delicate eyebrow, green eyes boring into that of his enemy's in war.  
  
"If it would mean victory for my people . . ." Drakja hesitated, a light frown creasing his face.  
  
"The people of 'Shi', you mean? You use the word 'my' when referring to them?"  
  
"Don't start with me . . .!" Saishoja warned, empty eyes flashing dangerously. Drakja grinned, leaning back against a tree and folding his arms across his chest.  
  
"Wasn't gonna . . ."  
  
"You were so!!" Saishoja began to grope for his sword-hilt, teeth bared. "Get out of here! I don't want to talk to you! We will end this on the battle-field! AS IT WAS MEANT TO BE!!!"  
  
Drakja gasped. "Don't you DARE imply such a thing! We are going to settle this NOW!"  
  
Saishoja laughed coldly. "You want to settle this now? There is nothing to settle! We fight to the death!"  
  
And with that, the Great General of Shi whipped around and gave Drakja the coldest snub in the history of war. It sent icicles creeping along the trees, stabbing Drakja painfully in the heart. He stood there, trembling with fury.  
  
"How dare he . . ." the green-eyed man hissed. "How dare he . . .!!! TO THE DEATH!!!"  
  
Sword in hand, a great cry rang out through the forest. Drakja felt warm blood gush across his hands as the blade pierced flesh and burst through Saishoja's chest, straight from his back. Saishoja gasped in pain, then stared, dazedly over his shoulder at Drakja.  
  
"You . . . you stabbed me . . ." the general murmured, disbelieving. Drakja was breathing heavily.  
  
"And I would do it again, you BASTARD!!! I would do it again!"  
  
Saishoja moved his head trance-like, gazing down upon the sword. "Remove the sword, Drakja," he said softly. Nearby, a young girl with fire-red hair was standing within the trees, hands clamped over her mouth. She screamed and raced into the clearing.  
  
"Oh my god!" the girl sobbed. "Oh my god!!!"  
  
"M-Madeline . . . Stay out of this . . ." Saishoja hissed, clenching his teeth with pain. "That's a . . . that's an order . . ."  
  
Drakja was growling, still clenching the sword. With a great heave, he slid it from Saishoja's back and threw the weapon down into the wet grass. Saishoja coughed and sagged to his knees. He was smiling sadly.  
  
"So this is how we choose to settle our rivalry, eh, Drakja?"  
  
Drakja was whimpering. "You had it coming . . ." he choked. "You had it coming . . .!"  
  
Saishoja nodded faintly, sighing. "Yes . . . I did have it coming . . . I guess it's safe to say . . . That for what you have done to me . . . Dad would have been proud . . ."  
  
Drakja's face fell. Stab. "Wh-what . . .? What of him . . .?"  
  
Saishoja smiled, not even holding a hand against his wound to stem the fiery blood that was tainting the grass. "Drakja . . . I still . . . I still . . ." Saishoja coughed and blood flowed down his chin. The Terran's eyes rolled up into his head as he whispered his final words.  
  
". . . I still love you . . ."  
  
Silently, the Great General of Shi crumpled into the grass and lay still. Drakja gaped, eyes wide, and then howled like a wounded beast.  
  
"Saishoja! No! No, my god, no!" He dropped to his knees beside the fallen man, tears pouring endlessly down his face. "Saishoja . . . Gods, I didn't KNOW!!! I-I didn't . . . know . . ."  
  
Above him, Madeline was hiccupping softly, clenching a fist near her chest. The bushes nearby rustled and Drakja saw a familiar face; that man, Garland. That snoop that had followed them around for so long . . .  
  
"What have I done . . .?" Drakja mumbled unintelligently, grasping Saishoja's shoulder with one trembling hand and turning him onto his back. "I can still . . . I could still . . ."  
  
"You can't, Drakja," came the soft reply. Nearby, Garland was staring upon the two with a reserved expression on his aging face. "It's too late for that. Let his soul move on . . ."  
  
". . . No . . . NO!!! YOU BASTARD, YOU DIDN'T KNOW HIM!!!"  
  
". . . Let him go . . ."  
  
". . . No . . .!" Drakja was sobbing hysterically, gently caressing Saishoja's ashen face with one blood-stained hand. "No . . . I don' t deserve . . . GAH!!!"  
  
No one could have stopped him. With a scream that split the heavens, Drakja grasped Saishoja's dagger and plunged the blade deep into his stomach. The Terran raised his face to the sky, crying out in agony as blood splattered upon the dirt. Garland's eyes widened, Madeline shrieked and covered her face. Then Drakja fell forward and collapsed upon his fallen friend, bloodied dagger in hand.  
  
". . . I love you too . . ." he whispered. And as they felt his aura passing, they saw that when he died, he was smiling . . . As was Saishoja . . .  
  
/Flash/  
  
Drakja gasped, plunging back into reality. "No . . . No, I didn't KNOW!!!"  
  
The others (who had absolutely no idea what was going on) watched as Kuja, shivering with pain, reached up and pressed a palm against his chest. When he pulled it back, there was blood spilling over his hand. He smiled faintly.  
  
"It's just . . . It's j-just like how S-Saishoja told me . . . told me it would h-happen . . . Which means I . . . Which means . . ." Kuja took a deep breath and said the words that caused a painful stillness to settle upon the room.  
  
"Which means . . . I win . . ."  
  
With a swooping sound, a wind began to swirl about Kuja's body. As he slowly – gracefully – fell, the roots of his hair began to go white, soaking to the tips, the feathers retreating, the black fur reverting into the torn rags of his traveling cloak from before. Kuja's lips paled, his eyes spurting back to white. Then he crumpled to the ground, no longer in a Trance, and definitely . . . positively . . .  
  
Dead.  
  
No one moved. No one breathed. It was like a giant vacuum had filled the entire chamber and sucked the air from every last mortal's lungs. Everything seemed to darken like night . . . Not a word was spoken.  
  
"Ha ha . . . Ha ha ha . . . AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" Garland was laughing hysterically, head thrown back, eyes wild. "AHA! OH MAN . . . OH, THIS IS HYSTERICAL!!! Hehe . . . HAHAHAHAHA!!!"  
  
They all thought he'd gone mad. Finally, after so many centuries, the great Gigahertz Garland had officially snapped. The overlord managed to lug himself back to his feet, still doubled over with hysteria. He seemed to be absolutely beside himself.  
  
"AHAHAHA!!! DRAKJA YOU ARE SO STUPID!!!"  
  
Garland pointed at the cowering geonome, giggling madly. "You have no idea what you have done!!! Saishoja . . . Oh, gosh, I never give Saishoja enough credit for his half-hatched schemes! Where is the fool?!!"  
  
Garland whipped around, searching every face for the soul. But by then, Saishoja had long since vanished. Garland sneered.  
  
"I must say, Saishoja. Bravo! He knew exactly what he was doing! But you, Drakja, my goodness, you have just sealed our deaths!!!"  
  
Drakja winced. "I don't . . . I don't understand . . ." Nearby, Kuja's silver dragon was whimpering, nudging his master pitifully, willing him to wake up.  
  
"Well, of course you don't!" Garland snapped. "Because you're an idiot! No matter how many times I hinted the truth to you, you never got it! You never figured it out!"  
  
"F-figured out what . . .?"  
  
"You have the original Drakja's soul!!! You and he are one and the same!!!"  
  
Drakja stared blankly at Garland. "S-so . . .? Saishoja already . . . already told me that. Wh-what does that have to do with any of this . . .?"  
  
"Everything!" Garland exclaimed. "That's what I mean! You're a moron! I tried to hint to you constantly, but I swear, even if I had come out and stuffed the truth down your throat you wouldn't have understood!"  
  
Zidane was breathing hard. What was the truth? What was it that all this meant?!! Garland smirked.  
  
"Drakja, didn't you ever notice anything about your relationship with Saishoja?"  
  
"Wh-what do you mean . . .?"  
  
"Well gee, let's see," Garland rubbed his chin thoughtfully, staring up at the ceiling, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You both have tails, and you're both incredible fighters. Do you see where I'm going with this yet . . .?"  
  
Drakja shook his head silently, still crouched upon the ground. He seemed so small and insignificant sitting there, mahogany tail curled about his ankle . . . Garland laughed.  
  
"Alright, how's this for a hint: didn't you ever notice that in every memory you ever saw – and believe me, I've been watching you, I know what you remember – Drakja always had just a FATHER and Saishoja always had just a MOTHER?!!"  
  
Zidane's eyes widened. /Oh my god . . . Don't tell me that . . ./  
  
Garland shook his head, unable to believe that Drakja didn't see the simplicity of the situation.  
  
"They were BROTHERS, you pathetic excuse for a Terran!!!"  
  
"B-brothers . . .?" Drakja seemed dazed, blinking slowly. Every last living creature within the room was stunned. Of course . . . It all made sense . . .  
  
Garland sighed, rolling his blackened eyes. "It was so obvious! More than six-hundred years ago on Terra, a woman named Isra gave birth to her first child, a son named Saishoja. But that son was born blind. Her husband, Uragiru, was a top officer in the military and couldn't stand the thought that his son could never be in war. So when Isra gave birth to their second son, Drakja, two years later, Uragiru immediately favored the one more compatible to fight."  
  
"But one day, Isra caught Uragiru leading Saishoja towards a cliff. Being blind, the child had no idea what his father was doing. Isra panicked and told Uragiru she was leaving. She moved away to another house in Saishoja and Drakja's home city of Tanjo. But another day Isra found Uragiru with Drakja watching Saishoja getting beaten up by some kids in a park. That night, she took the boy and fled to HER home city of Shi. When the war on Terra started, Saishoja wound up fighting for Shi. This made sense, as – due to the unfortunate circumstances – he grew up there. Drakja took this as a big blow, as he was fighting for Tanjo where he had remained with their father. The two had been inseparable, seeing each other constantly; the best of friends despite their parents' differences. But with the war, the two came to loathe each other. They both felt betrayed by the other. At that point, Saishoja had the Blindsight and became Shi's general. Drakja became Tanjo's. They fought against each other in many battles. They were known as the 'Devil Brothers' and many fights with average citizens were started over which of the two was the better man."  
  
"But one day Drakja went to Shi's campgrounds to try and make peace with his lost brother. Saishoja ignored him and, thus, Drakja killed him in his fury. But Saishoja admitted as he died that no matter what had happened, he still loved him. Maddened by grief and realizing he had just murdered his brother, Drakja killed himself with Saishoja's blade."  
  
Garland smirked. "And the rest is history. Cities that had favored Shi or Tanjo became infuriated, one side furious that Drakja had killed Saishoja, the other furious that Saishoja's death had led to Drakja's. In the end, the world of Terra destroyed itself in their rage. Drakja's foolish actions ended the world as they knew it . . . Leaving it barren and uninhabitable. Which means, dear Drakja, that you have just repeated the same mistake as last time . . . Look around, fool. Look at the faces of your enemies. Do those look like the faces of mortals that will show you mercy . . .?"  
  
Drakja stared timidly at the enraged countenances of the crew. He flinched with fear. Every last non-geonome creature within the Fire Shrine was seething with fury. He'd never seen anything like it before in his life. The room pulsed with a vicious wrath. Lani was clutching her axe and running one finger smoothly along its paper-thin edge. Amarant was flexing his claws. Steiner's mouth was hanging open with a cross between shock and anger. Beatrix seemed to be half-crying, half-growling. The two Burmecians' lips were curled, their noses bunched as they snarled. Garnet was sniffling, reproachful. Zidane's eyes were burning in their sockets. He was clenching and unclenching his fists, trembling with an unmatched rage. Garland laughed.  
  
"You see, Drakja?! You've done it again, you fool! They'll kill you now for sure! Just like last time! Terra was DESTROYED because of your IDIOCY!!! And now you've gone and done it again!!"  
  
Drakja didn't speak. He was staring down at the floor in silence. His hands were smeared with blood that seemed to spell "guilty." Garland shook his head in disgust.  
  
Nearby, however, Zidane was shaking. He couldn't seem to catch his breath, his eyes pulsing with a strange, pale-red light. Teeth bared, he clenched his fists near his sides, growling. He couldn't see anything at all . . . He could only smell the blood of those living within the Fire Shrine. He felt the urge to dig his fingers into their flesh, taste their molten blood.  
  
No, not their blood . . . Somebody else's . . . He blinked as he felt someone fall against him.  
  
"M . . . Megan . . .?"  
  
Megan didn't seem to recognize him. She hung onto his shoulder, shivering, and then dropped to her knees. She collapsed upon the floor, hugging her knees to her chest and sobbing. Zidane repeated her name but she only lay there muttering to herself unintelligently. Zidane felt as if he'd swallowed a rock that had come to a rest somewhere in the pit of his stomach.  
  
He could feel that familiar panic beginning to flutter throughout his body. He'd felt it before; that feeling that all rationality was lost and only instinct had taken over; driving his powers beyond all measure.  
  
Yeah . . . It had been way too long since he'd begun to Trance . . .  
  
The blonde flinched as he felt a frighteningly warm hand upon his shoulder. Saishoja was standing beside him, his face uncharacteristically serious for the personality Zidane had gotten used to.  
  
"Zidane . . ." the soul whispered. "You need to use this to your advantage . . ."  
  
". . . Use what . . .?"  
  
"You're Trancing, aren't you?" Saishoja queried. "Or at least, you're incredibly close without actually being physically injured. I can sense the inner peril in your soul. Listen to me very – carefully . . . Do you sense it with the Trance's heightened perception?"  
  
"Sense what?" Zidane could scarcely think as he watched Garland mercilessly chastising and teasing Drakja.  
  
". . . The anger . . ."  
  
"Anger?"  
  
"Yes, don't you feel it; smell it?" Saishoja was gazing forward as if he could taste something in the air that no one else could.  
  
"I . . . I don't know . . ."  
  
"Then try . . ." Saishoja's hand was still resting on Zidane's shoulder. The silver-haired man squeezed it reassuringly. Zidane closed his eyes, concentrating. The anger, eh? He had to sense everyone's anger . . .  
  
Then it hit him like a battering-ram to the chest. He could hear the voices of all those around him, feel their fury, their pain, their frustration as if they had become one with him, crunching up within him, tearing his innards to shreds.  
  
/Flash/  
  
"How could they . . .?! Look what they've done to us!!!"  
  
"This is horrible – !"  
  
"I hate him – !"  
  
"Bastard – "  
  
". . . excuse for a – "  
  
"– GONNA RIP HIS HEART OUT, THAT – "  
  
/Flash/  
  
Even the geonomes . . . He could even hear the fury of the geonomes . . .!  
  
He couldn't take it anymore . . . The animosity . . .  
  
"It . . . It hurts . . .!" Zidane moaned. Saishoja's sightless eyes gleamed.  
  
"Yes! Yes . . .! Feel their pain and use it, Zidane! You know there is more to power than simply Trancing! Come on! Show them what you've got!!!"  
  
"Show . . . Show them . . ." Zidane stumbled forward slightly. His head was spinning. He could hear his friends calling out to him now, abandoning their anger long enough to notice something was wrong with their friend. Zidane thought he would fall but he managed to stay on his feet. He clutched his head, moaning.  
  
Garland laughed. "Ah, lookie there, Drakja," The overlord pointed at the shivering Zidane. "See that light surrounding Zidane's aura? That's the beginnings of a Trance . . . Let's face it, my dear, dear, Demon of Death: You're dead,"  
  
A fierce wind began to pick up around Zidane's body. He wrapped his arms tightly about himself as he felt the horrible energy beginning to fill the very fabric of his being. Saishoja was grinning with a maniacal energy.  
  
"YES!! YES!! NOW IS THE TIME, ZIDANE!!! YOU, WHO HAVE ALSO INHERITED THE BLOOD OF SAISHOJA THROUGH THE MACHINATIONS OF GARLAND MUST NOW SHOW THEM THE TRUE POWER OF AN ANGEL OF DEATH!!!"  
  
Zidane was doubled over in agony. Already his body had morphed into his typical Trance. The hair that whipped about his face was a bright shade of pink, his clothes shredded to reveal the fuchsia fur. His tail was puffed out in fury, eyes wild. The light that emitted from his body was so blinding that many turned away. It fell momentarily upon the form of Mikoto who had passed out against the wall. She cringed in her sleep as if trying to shy away a bad dream. For a moment, Kuja's body was visible in the darkness, Zidane's energy glistening off the bath of blood that soaked through the sorcerer's ruined grave-clothes.  
  
Drakja's green eyes were closed and he was sitting contently.  
  
". . . This is what I deserve . . ." he whispered. Garland was giggling hysterically.  
  
"Yes! Yes, this is EXACTLY what you deserve! You, who murdered the most beautiful and powerful creature to ever grace the planets! You, who destroyed my poor, dear Terra! You, who returned even now to once again snuff the life of my most gorgeous, flawless, PERFECT creation! Yes, Drakja! Suffer for your sins!"  
  
Zidane was growling as the power began to increase. Tendrils of white and rose winds slapped across the chamber. Chunks of the walls were breaking off, geonomes were cowering in fear. Tremors were racing through Zidane's body.  
  
"GrrrrrrrrrrrAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!!!"  
  
The genome threw back his head in a terrifying scream. He covered his ears in agony as the brilliance exploded from his body. The room was engulfed in light as Drakja calmly awaited his sentence.  
  
"Ahahahaha!!!" Saishoja stepped backwards, slipping as far into the dark as he possibly could. "Zidane has finally gone beyond the mere limits of Trance! He has Shocked! Not a creature has been capable of such a transformation since . . . Why, since me!"  
  
"Good day, Drakja," Garland smirked, tilting his face delicately away from the flare.  
  
"No, Garland . . ." a hoarse voice whispered from within the burning core of the light. "Drakja is a mortal that was sentenced to death centuries ago . . . Drakja is obsolete; unimportant. Drakja was not responsible for his actions . . . He was being egged on and lied to by only one person: You! YOU, GARLAND, ARE THE ONLY ONE THAT SHALL SUFFER HERE TONIGHT!!!"  
  
"Wh-what?" Garland's eyes widened with disbelief as he saw the tentacles of energy bundling together, intertwining, blasting in his direction. "What?!! NOOO!!! I CREATED YOU!!! I – BARRIER!!!"  
  
Garland held up his arms in defense and allowed the powerful, translucent magic-shield to power up before him. The light plowed into the magical glass with a shriek and was immediately deflected. More continued to come as the powerful energy spiraled off into the rest of the hall, smashing into the concrete and bringing down entire statues with an earth-shattering crash.  
  
Garland stepped backwards, still holding the barrier up tight in front of him. He sneered.  
  
"Zidane, you'll die if you keep this up!!! The powers of Shock – though awesome – cannot defeat the power of a hundred souls held within a small space! The potential of your Shock will kill you!"  
  
"I don't care!" Zidane screamed back, crying out as the power of his own and everyone else's anger began to ravage him apart. "If I take you down with me then it will all have been worth it!!!"  
  
"Incredible . . ." Lulian exclaimed in awe, quailing alongside her fellow geonomes.  
  
For a full minute at least, Zidane continued to bombard Garland with his fury and Garland continued to counter it. Soon, the foundations of the Shrine would no longer hold. They would all be killed . . .  
  
Until . . .  
  
"GRAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!" Garland let out a horrible, blood-curdling scream as Zidane's might broke through the barrier. The magic glass fizzled and went out. Immediately, Garland vanished within a plume of blinding, burning energy, blood spraying from every possible centimeter of his flesh.  
  
"IMPOSSIBLE!!!" they heard him shriek. "NO!! ZIDANE'S POWERS ALONE NEVER COULD HAVE BROKEN MY BARRIER!!! HOW – ?!!"  
  
But Garland thought he saw, before he became consumed, another faint light glowing somewhere off to the side; a small bit of magic that might have – just maybe – made a BIG difference . . .  
  
"The final blow, Zidane!" Saishoja yelled from the sidelines. "Hurry! I don't think He'll be able to hold out much longer!!!"  
  
Zidane thought, in his slight delusion, that Saishoja meant "Garland" when referring to the "He." As it turned out later, he was very much wrong . . .  
  
Zidane pulled back his arms, preparing for the final blast. Garland was frozen in the center of the chamber, screaming as his body shredded and convulsed from the thousands of blades that seemed to comprise the wind. Then, with a cry, Zidane summoned his Ultima Weapon to his side using the powers of Shock. He gripped the weapon tightly by the middle handle and then, crying out, swung with all his might right into the core of light.  
  
Silence fell. All time screeched to a stop. Garland's face seemed to be trapped in an infinite, silent scream; Zidane's blade was held out before him, his shoulders hunched, his face taut with pain and rage. Most within the Fire Shrine had turned away. Garnet was covering Vivi and Eiko, Fratley had gripped Freya tightly, Beatrix had rushed over to where Steiner had previously fallen. Everything was engulfed in light. Zidane felt a strange gaze upon him that he had not felt in what seemed like an eternity; two sapphires piercing coolly into his soul. He smiled to himself as all around him seemed to end.  
  
"Yeah . . . I knew you had something to do with it . . ."  
  
BOOM.  
  
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
  
An explosion had rocked the center of the arena. A single cry had broken through the silence. Every last person within the shrine lay somewhere upon the floor, unmoving. The chamber took on the appearance of a wasteland. Bodies were sprawled here and there, nothing dared to breathe. Chunks of the wall and ceiling crumbling were the only sounds heard other than the soft whining of the wind. As the silence began to dissipate, life, once more, began to stir. In the center of the room, a small pile of ash was settling. A faint red orb within the dust flickered and then went black. Silenced forever.  
  
. . . Garland had been defeated . . .  
  
The only one left standing was Zidane, though not for long. He was staring at the small mound of ash, breathing hard. Thousands of tiny lights drifted up from the pile of dust, streaming across the room like a million glittering fireflies. The souls of Gaia were finally free . . . ! A faint smile flickered across Zidane's features.  
  
"Hehe . . . Gotcha . . ."  
  
And then, his Trance evaporating from his body, he collapsed. Garnet yelped and leapt to her feet.  
  
"Zidane!" the queen shrieked, running towards his fallen form. But she already knew . . . Had already known . . .  
  
"No! No! No! No!" Garnet gripped Zidane's shoulders hard and turned him onto his back. "No! No, it's not true! It can't be true!"  
  
The others were filing in slowly behind her, looking anxious. Even Steiner, who had received a major head-wound from Kuja's dragon, had managed to hobble over to Zidane's side. The only ones who had not risen were Eiko – who was still unconscious and being carried by Fratley – and Megan, who had not moved at all for quite some time.  
  
"I don't believe it . . ." Beatrix whispered. "He . . ." her one eye snapped up to meet the ghost hovering near the wall. Saishoja was standing silent, gazing into the distance with his eerie white eyes.  
  
"HE DIED, YOU KNOW THAT?!!" Beatrix screamed. A small sob escaped her throat. "The stupid idiot died . . ."  
  
"D-don't say it!" Garnet moaned, tears pouring down her face as she hugged Zidane's limp body to her own. "It's not true! He's not dead!"  
  
Saishoja turned away, frowning. "If all goes according to plan . . ." he whispered. "Then he will . . ." The deceased man glanced over his shoulder at something. "Yes, Drakja will do the right thing . . . I know he will . . ."  
  
All the females within the team were crying. Even Lani, who was typically trying to be such a bad-ass, had buried her face into Amarant's chest. Amazingly, he let her. His head was bowed, fire-red hair obscuring his face. No one knew what the bandit was thinking at that moment . . . Garnet was sobbing, squeezing Zidane with all her might.  
  
"Wh-what will . . . What will Eiko say when she . . . When she wakes up?!! Gods, Zidane . . . Please wake up . . .! WAKE UP FOR ME!!!"  
  
No one spoke a word. The shock had not yet set in. Dead?! How could Zidane Tribal, chaser of the ladies, ex-thief, future king of Alexandria, Shakespearian actor of the Tantalus Troupe, and the most righteous man alive, possibly be dead?! For saving the world?!!  
  
". . . Is he . . .?"  
  
A soft voice reverted the attention of the others. Several people actually jerked around in surprise. Someone had been watching them . . . Someone with the most beautiful opal eyes they had ever seen . . .  
  
"Oh my god, Kuja . . ." Beatrix's mouth was hanging open. "Nobody move!" she raced over to the warlock's side.  
  
Kuja was still crumpled in the position he had fallen. His silver dragon was circling the warlock slowly, whining softly and nosing his master balefully. Beatrix got down on her knees beside Kuja, looking terrified. She carefully turned the sorcerer onto his back. He gasped, clutching the wound in his chest. Blood flood between his clenched fingers and onto the floor. He was as white as a sheet, a dribble of blood running down his chin. It didn't take a doctor or a white mage to know . . .  
  
Kuja was dying too . . .  
  
"Kuja . . . how – " Beatrix fell silent. She couldn't speak anymore. The first two Angels of Death . . . Both dead . . . On the same day . . . Because of the same god damn man . . .  
  
"Zidane . . ." Kuja moaned. "He's gone . . . I don't . . . I don't feel his presence at all!"  
  
Beatrix suppressed a sob. "Kuja . . . Kuja, Zidane's fine . . . Don't worry about him . . ."  
  
"Don't . . . lie to me . . ." Kuja hissed. He turned his head slightly to the side. "Because of the amount of blood I've lost . . . the poison is purged . . . My sight has returned to me . . ."  
  
Beatrix sniffled. "So I've noticed . . ."  
  
"And . . ." Kuja continued. "I still can't see Zidane . . . M-Megan . . . Where's Megan . . .?!"  
  
"She's – "  
  
"Right here," Came a soft reply. Beatrix leapt to the side just in time to see Megan standing beside her, tears spilling from beneath her glasses' frames.  
  
"Megan . . ." Kuja rasped. "I just . . . I just wanted to say . . . That I'm sorry for everything . . . That's ever happened to you . . ."  
  
At this point, all members of the team were watching Kuja tearfully.  
  
"M-mourning for two heroes at once . . ." Freya rubbed her eyes. "What a horrible ending to a great tale . . ."  
  
"No, Kuja . . . I'm sorry . . ." Megan hiccupped, sniffling. "It was horrible of me to make judgments about things . . . Things that I could know nothing of . . .!"  
  
"I don't . . . blame you . . ." Kuja's eyes were faraway. "And if you were to die hating me . . . I would understand . . ."  
  
". . . I never hated you . . ."  
  
"Don't lie . . ."  
  
"No, I could never hate you!"  
  
"L-listen to me . . ." Kuja breathed, wincing. "I . . . I have here . . . S-some money that I . . . That I'm giving to the group . . ." He removed his trembling hand from his wound and reached into his shredded traveling cloak. When he withdrew it, there was an entire bag of gil clenched tight between his fingers, stained with his oozing crimson blood.  
  
"Kuja, we can't – " Beatrix cut in, but Kuja interrupted her.  
  
"No . . . Take it . . . There should be just enough in there . . . To pay for . . . To pay for Quina's . . . and Zidane's . . . proper graves . . . Alongside Queen Brahne . . . in the Alexandrian . . . Royal Cemetery . . . of Honor . . ."  
  
"Kuja . . . Please . . ."  
  
"M-Megan . . ." Kuja closed his eyes wearily, trembling. "No matter what you feel for me . . . I will always love you . . . But I must . . . I must see Zidane . . . One last time . . ."  
  
Then he shuddered and lay still . . .  
  
Megan stood there, eyes wide. "N . . . No . . . NOOOOOO!!!! NO, NOT YOU TOO!!! NOOOOOO!!!!"  
  
She dropped to her knees at Kuja's side, throwing herself upon his body. Kuja's silver dragon howled mournfully, nudging his master's face. Those who had been crying for Zidane now cried doubly hard for the two brothers that had so uselessly perished from their world . . .  
  
What seemed to be a million miles away, Drakja lay upon the cold, stone ground. Zidane hadn't killed him . . . the idiot!  
  
"I don't wanna live anymore . . ." Drakja whimpered. "Not after . . . Not after all that I've done . . .!"  
  
Of course, he could now clearly remember what had happened the last time he'd murdered his brother . . . Killed himself, of course. So why not . . . again . . .? Drakja clenched his eyes shut, reaching towards the dagger in his belt. Suddenly, a hand came down upon his wrist.  
  
"Stop,"  
  
"Huh?" Drakja opened his emerald eyes blearily, staring up into the face of none other than . . .  
  
"Saishoja!!" Drakja jerked up immediately and began inching away. "No! No, you stay away from me! I . . . I can't face you!"  
  
"I won't stay away," said the dead-man seriously. "Now you listen to me. Yes, you've screwed up before in your life, but I'm here now, giving you an opportunity to redeem yourself! Are you so thick that you haven't figured that out yet?!!"  
  
". . . What . . .?"  
  
"Last time, I made sure I died before you could use any of your powers on me. I didn't want to live anymore without my family, and I knew there would be terrible consequences for you if you did anything. But now you've been given a chance to try AGAIN!" Saishoja reached down and gripped Drakja by the collar hard, wrenching the young man fiercely to his feet.  
  
"Be a man! Make the wrong things right! Don't take the coward's way out like you did last time; do the right thing!"  
  
"B-but how . . .?"  
  
"REMEMBER, YOU FOOL!!!" Saishoja glared daggers at his brother. "If you can remember just one more thing about your past, then I will leave . . . My interference with Fate will end and I will gladly step down . . ."  
  
And with that said, Saishoja vanished. Drakja stared down at his blood- stained hands. Remember . . .? Remember what . . .? He looked up slowly at where the two Angels of Death lay, the rest of the crew sobbing and grieving over their bodies. He stared particularly hard at Kuja. Killed him . . . He'd . . . Killed him . . .  
  
/Flash/  
  
"Wh-what have I done . . .? I can still . . . I could still . . ."  
  
/Flash/  
  
Drakja kneaded his forehead in distress. "Still what?! What is it that I must know?!!"  
  
/Flash/  
  
"Drakja's final power. I had hoped by now he would have figured it out, but alas, he does not even realize he has one,"  
  
"Is that so? But if I recall, the original Drakja was not aware of it either?"  
  
"Not so. Drakja was fully aware of it and knew how to use it. Alas, however, he never utilized it in his life. It would have saved the poor fool some . . . nasty situations,"  
  
/Flash/  
  
"OH!!!" Drakja clapped his hands over his mouth.  
  
He remembered! He really, truly remembered! He knew now what he needed to do. But there was only one problem . . .  
  
". . . Zidane and Kuja are dead . . ." Drakja growled in frustration and whipped around, banging his head against the wall a few times and then, dazed, stepping away. "Alright, clear off . . . There's always a way to do everything . . ."  
  
Drakja stepped nervously closer to the party, ignoring the confused stares of the geonomes all around him.  
  
"D-Drakja . . .?" Lulian called out to her partner feebly. The alpha-male ignored her. He brushed past Kuja and moved instead up to Zidane. He stared down at the lifeless young man quietly, eyes tingling. Garnet flinched and glared up at the geonome.  
  
"YOU!!! GET AWAY FROM HIM, YOU /MONSTER/!!!!!"  
  
Drakja did not respond. ". . . He is dead . . .?"  
  
"Of course he's dead you MORON!!" Steiner barked, tears streaming down his cheeks. "Because YOUR stupid actions forced him to do something more powerful than his body could handle!!!"  
  
Drakja hesitated. ". . . Is there a White Mage here . . .?"  
  
"I'M a White Mage!" Garnet snapped. "What's it to you?!!"  
  
". . . Is there a White Magic spell to bring back the dead . . .?"  
  
"OF COURSE NOT, YOU FUCKING IDIOT!!! DON'T YOU THINK WE WOULD HAVE USED ONE IF ONE EXISTED?!!" Freya was making a frantic leap for Drakja but Fratley, choking, pulled her back.  
  
"No, Freya, no! It's not worth it . . .!"  
  
Drakja's mind was buzzing with ideas. ". . . What about a Summoner? Is there an Eidolon that can bring back the dead?"  
  
Over at Kuja's body, Beatrix was watching Drakja carefully over one shoulder. "Phoenix has the ability to revive those who are mortally wounded . . . But our only Summoner that has access to Phoenix is unconscious. And besides . . . To bring back the dead would take a bond between Summoner and Eidolon that, to be quite honest, I don't think Garnet or Eiko could possibly be strong enough or experienced enough to have . . . And, it would only bring them back to life, not heal them . . . Zidane could possibly be spared with Phoenix under the right circumstances . . . But Kuja . . ."  
  
"No, no . . . That's not important . . ." Drakja's mind was racing. "I just wish I had access to Phoenix . . ."  
  
Someone brushed past him at that moment and fell to her knees beside Zidane.  
  
"Huh? Megan?"  
  
Megan's eyes were closed. She held out one arm, fist clenched. Then, with a sigh, she opened her fingers to reveal a tiny, feeble flame hovering within the palm of her hand.  
  
"A Phoenix flame!" Beatrix gasped.  
  
Megan's eyes opened slowly. They were rather empty looking, like she was in some sort of trance.  
  
". . . This is the last bit of Summoning magic I have left . . ." she whispered. "Since my horn was removed, I've had only a drop of power left in my entire body. I have enough to call to Phoenix. He says . . . He will give them life . . . Though I do not have the strength to offer them much . . ." Megan looked up slowly at the stunned faces of the crew. ". . . Do you accept . . .?"  
  
"W-we couldn't . . .!" Lani shook her head. "That's all the girl has left!"  
  
"No!" Drakja looked desperate. "You, Summoner-girl!" he whirled around on Megan. "Can you keep Zidane and Kuja alive for at least thirty seconds?"  
  
Megan did not speak for a moment. She still seemed to be seeing in another world. ". . . Nothing more . . ."  
  
"Excellent!" Drakja clapped his hands together. "Go on, then! Do it!"  
  
". . . You're wasting her last bit of magic!" Freya looked appalled. "Haven't you done enough damage already?! You're lucky we haven't killed you yet! And most likely the Alexandrian courts will do that for us!"  
  
Drakja ignored the Burmecian's tirade. He got down on his knees beside Zidane's lifeless form. Garnet glared at him, refusing to release her fiancé.  
  
". . . Get away . . .!"  
  
Drakja looked at the queen firmly with an expression that almost made her start. It was a calm, cool, calculated countenance. But it was warm. All the frost had gone from his emerald eyes.  
  
"Trust me,"  
  
"Please, Your Highness," Beatrix had still not moved from Kuja's side. "You have nothing more to lose . . ."  
  
Garnet hesitated, then slowly lowered Zidane's body off her lap and back to the cold, grimy floor. Her eyes were like daggers.  
  
"If you even think about – "  
  
"Shh!" Vivi's amber eyes were shining.  
  
Megan cupped the Phoenix flame within her hands and slowly muttered a spell. Then she positioned herself so that her palms hovered directly above Zidane. A thin sheet of fire burst forth from her hands and washed over Zidane's body, returning color to his skin that had previously been bleached out in death. After a moment of sizzling, the wave dissipated, leaving a cool ash upon the genome's clothes. Megan frowned.  
  
". . . You have thirty seconds . . ."  
  
Drakja nodded, closing his eyes. A small wind began to circle about his body; the precursor to any powerful magic spell.  
  
". . . What are you going to do . . .?" Steiner queried suspiciously.  
  
Drakja laughed. "I-it's the craziest thing!" He clamped both fists near his chest, a translucent purple light coiling within his tightened fingers. "Back when I was on Terra, my brother and I were the most famous warriors alive! Each of us had unique powers never before seen in the world! Saishoja's abilities were to walk through walls, see through solid objects though blind, and sometimes . . . just sometimes . . . he could see the future! That was his ultimate power! I had one too, but I never knew how to use it! It required so much mental exertion that I never bothered!"  
  
"A-and what was that . . .?" Garnet inquired nervously.  
  
Drakja removed his fists from his chest and they saw that the light had reverted to a swirling virgin-white. The geonome held it within his palms as if it were a solid object and then, similar to the Phoenix flame, he allowed the light to wash over Zidane's body. Drakja's eyes were closed and he grimaced for a moment in pain. He trembled and they saw that a faint fog crept from his lips with each breath, like the temperature around his body had dropped a significant number of degrees.  
  
The light vanished as if it had soaked through Zidane's very flesh. The young genome glowed softly for a moment and then everything went still.  
  
". . . The ability to heal . . ." Drakja breathed. He opened his green eyes. They were clouded over in pain. Garnet's face was one of extreme disbelief.  
  
". . . Oh my god . . ."  
  
She reached down, hand shaking uncontrollably, and gently caressed Zidane's cheek.  
  
"Oh my god . . ." she repeated, staring up at Drakja in shock. "He's alive!"  
  
Drakja chuckled weakly. ". . . I know . . ."  
  
The others were murmuring excitedly. "But he won't just die again, will he?" Steiner gaped.  
  
"Not for any reason other than the usual . . ." Drakja shrugged. "He's not completely out of the woods, but if you take him to one of your Gaian doctors he should be fine . . ."  
  
Nobody seemed to know what to say. Garnet's eyes were shining with tears as she cradled Zidane's head in her lap. "G . . . God bless you!" she burst into tears on the spot. Drakja scratched his head unsurely.  
  
"Erm, I'll just go heal Kuja then . . ." he rose shakily to his feet but stumbled and nearly fell back down. Beatrix was watching him suspiciously.  
  
"Summoner-girl!" Drakja called, crouching down beside Kuja. The silver dragon had laid down beside the sorcerer and was whimpering softly, resting his ivory head upon his claws. When Drakja came near, the dragon growled warningly, loyally defending his master's dead body. However, when it saw the determined look upon the man's face, the dragon fell silent and, instead, watched Drakja suspiciously out of the corner of one eye. "I need you to use the last of your powers. How much time can you give me?"  
  
Megan walked steadily over to his side. Her eyes were shadowed.  
  
". . . Thirty seconds . . ."  
  
"Good enough. Do your stuff,"  
  
And thus, the process was repeated. This time, however, when Megan had finished casting her spell, the flames fizzled and went out: its final, last gasp.  
  
The Summoner was now barren of magic forever . . .  
  
Drakja sighed, getting ready to do HIS stuff. A voice, however, abruptly cut off his actions.  
  
"Don't . . . you . . . dare . . ." The geonome glanced down to meet the smoldering sea-blue eyes.  
  
". . .What . . .?"  
  
"It's not worth it!" Kuja snapped, grinding his teeth in agony as he clutched the wound in his chest. He panted, using the last of his energy to give Drakja the Look of Death. "I . . . I know what you're trying to do . . .! Don't!"  
  
Beatrix refused to speak. She understood exactly what was going on. /I won't interfere . . ./ she told herself firmly. Drakja looked crestfallen.  
  
"Why the hell not?!!"  
  
"Because!" Kuja gasped. "If you try to use your healing powers again you'll DIE!!!"  
  
A ringing silence fell. Over at Zidane's body, Fratley was frowning.  
  
". . . That's not good . . ."  
  
Several geonomes were murmuring amongst themselves. Lulian was staring at Drakja with large, dramatic tears in her eyes.  
  
". . . No . . .!"  
  
Drakja growled. "I don't care!" he snapped. "Now just shut the hell up and let me heal you . . .!"  
  
"NO!!" Kuja cried out. "NO, I won't see another death! I've HAD it with watching people DIE!!! You've spared Zidane, he's the one that deserves to live!"  
  
"You idiot!" Drakja retorted. "So do you! I'm not stupid, I know you used magic to break Garland's shield when Zidane Shocked! If you hadn't used your magic to block Garland's powers and tear down the barrier, Zidane would have DIED!!!"  
  
"I've already run my compass!" Kuja yelled back. "There was a limit put on my life for a reason and that limit has finally come! I've done terrible things in my life! HORRIBLE things! And if you save me now, I WILL KILL YOU!!!"  
  
Kuja gasped with pain as the words spilled from his mouth. But he was glaring defiantly. No one said a word. Drakja's eyes were wide. He seemed too confounded to speak; his face was clouded over with a mixture of hurt and confusion. Suddenly, a snarl wrenched through the geonome's throat and, much to the shock of those around him, Drakja snatched Kuja by the collar and wrenched the injured man up fiercely until they were face to face.  
  
"NOW YOU LISTEN TO ME YOU FUCKING FREAK!!! SIX-HUNDRED YEARS AGO I DID A BAD THING! A /REALLY/ BAD THING!! I MURDERED MY OWN FUCKING BROTHER BECAUSE I WAS TOO BLIND TO SEE THAT HE STILL LOVED ME! I MADE A MISTAKE, I ADMIT IT, YOU HEAR ME?!! AND THEN, EVEN STUPIDER, I KILLED MYSELF!! BUT NOW, AFTER SO MANY CENTURIES, WE HAVE ALL BEEN GIVEN A CHANCE TO CHANGE ALL THAT!!! THIS TIME I CAN /SAVE/ MY BROTHER! THIS TIME I WON'T /HAVE/ TO DIE A MEANINGLESS DEATH! SO YOU LISTEN TO ME, AND YOU LISTEN GOOD!" Drakja shoved Kuja down hard, and immediately began to call upon his spell. As the light began to swirl about his body, Lulian cried out.  
  
"NOOO!!!" Several members of the team gasped. He was going to do it! Drakja was going to sacrifice his life for Kuja's! In the shadows, Saishoja watched.  
  
". . . You were never stupid, Brother . . .You're doing the right thing . . ."  
  
Drakja took a deep breath, clenching a fist near his chest and tearing the white light from his very heart. Those within the Fire Shrine understood now how the spell worked. Drakja was healing . . . by giving away his own health! It was suicide! He was saving the lives of two people . . . When he had only one life to give himself! But Drakja had made a decision . . .  
  
"IF I CAN'T SAVE THE LIFE OF EVEN /ONE/ MAN, THEN . . . I DON'T /DESERVE/ TO LIVE!!!!!"  
  
Kuja's body became bathed in light. The warlock sobbed with pain, turning his face away from the blinding luminescence that penetrated through his flesh, forcing his body to heal.  
  
And then the room became flooded with the light. It held for several moments, and then everything returned softly back to normal. Kuja was lying unconscious upon the floor. He still had the horrible wound, but the bleeding had long since stopped and he was, by miracle, alive. Above him, Drakja wrapped his arms about himself, shivering. He was gasping for breath, white as snow. Then, with a sigh, he slumped over across Kuja's unmoving form.  
  
Lulian screamed, racing towards her partner.  
  
"No! Drakja, no!!!"  
  
"Shh!" Beatrix hissed as the alpha-female wrenched Drakja from Kuja's body and began hugging him fiercely to her chest. "Lady, lady, he's alive! Drakja's alive!"  
  
Lulian blinked slowly. ". . . What . . .?"  
  
"He didn't die! He might if we don't get him to a doctor soon, but he's still alive!"  
  
Lulian's eyes were watering. "Oh . . . Oh thank heavens . . ." She clutched Drakja tightly, rocking him back and forth and sobbing. Beatrix's one eye twinkled.  
  
/. . . Thank you, Saishoja . . ./  
  
Several feet away, Zidane was finally stirring. "Huh . . .? Wha . . . What the fuck? Dagger . . .?"  
  
Garnet stared down at Zidane, tears brimming her eyes. Then she burst into tears, throwing her arms around Zidane until he could scarcely breathe.  
  
"Zidane! Oh gods, Zidane, I thought I'd lost your forever!!!"  
  
"Geez, Dagger, it's alright! I-I'm okay!"  
  
Freya surveyed the mess, frowning. ". . . Then . . . Everyone lived . . . Except for Garland . . .?"  
  
Fratley smirked. "Heh . . . I-I guess so . . .!"  
  
"We . . . We won . . .!" Lani blinked, looking extremely confused. Several feet away, Eiko opened one bleary eye.  
  
"W-we did . . .?"  
  
"WE WON!!!" Lani squealed. "We won, we won, we won!!!"  
  
A new dawn was rising. Though they could not see it, they felt it in their very bones . . . Outside the sun was creeping back into the sky. But it was a very different sun. It was slowly, surely, cleaning the shadow off of Gaia. The souls had fled . . . Terra was motionless in the sky once more . . .  
  
"Hey, morons!" Amarant called. "Half the fleets of Gaia are standing right outside the shrine . . ."  
  
"Wh-what do we tell them . . .?" Vivi whispered. Beatrix said nothing for a moment.  
  
"Steiner, help walk Zidane back to the airship. We'll need them to get some stretchers for the injured geonomes; caskets for the ones that died. Tell them we need some top-notch doctors immediately and then have them search the dungeons. There're at least a hundred genomes trapped down there who need a lot explained to them. Also, make sure they've got room on that ship for a dragon. Tell them . . . Simply tell them 'we have lived to see another day,'"  
  
Beatrix surveyed Kuja warmly. Movement at her side caught the general's attention and she glanced at Megan, eyebrows raised.  
  
". . . Is there something you want . . .?"  
  
Megan hesitated. ". . . Wherever they take him . . . May I please come . . .?"  
  
Beatrix cocked her head. Did Megan . . .? Had she really just said . . .? Then the general smiled, her first, true smile in a long, long time.  
  
"Of course,"  
  
The baffled soldiers of the various nations could not, by looking upon the scene, ever deduce what had really transpired there. The ending seemed, indeed, bittersweet. As the various soldiers – women of Alexandria, men of Lindblum, rats of Burmecia, and a few scattered others – went about, it was obvious that it was very painful for them. They understood from what they'd been told that the geonomes were, in fact, not evil at all but simply innocent fools like the genomes that had been confused by the sinister ways of Garland. So, of course, it was very hard for the caring soldiers to have to go around the shrine and figure out which geonomes on the floor were dead and which were simply knocked out.  
  
Beatrix had, at this point, taken charge. She sighed, watching as her own women gently lifted a geonome's broken body into a casket (it was even more painful to know that the soldiers had brought caskets along, understanding full well that people would die). By the end, the death count was forty- three innocent lives. The death count for ALL of Gaia, however, remained forever unknown. The exact number of how many had suffered under Garland's wrath could not even be conceived.  
  
Those on Beatrix's team who were wounded were led away towards the airship. Doctor Tot was standing outside the shrine looking anxious.  
  
An interesting thing happened during all this, however, while Garnet was carefully leading Zidane towards the door. He was leaning against her, still wincing with pain. Doctor Tot looked him up and down, then laughed.  
  
"Took quite a beating, I see?"  
  
". . . You could say that . . ." Zidane responded vaguely. Suddenly, someone grasped the blonde's arm. He flinched and followed the arm to Drakja, who was leaning in a similar fashion against Lulian. Drakja looked absolutely horrible; like someone had come and sucked the very life out of his body (which they had . . .). His usually handsome face was pale and there were dark shadows under his still-shocking green eyes.  
  
Neither Zidane nor Drakja spoke. They stared at each other for several moments, tired aqua eyes meeting even more exhausted green ones. Garnet wondered, fleetingly, if another scuffle would break out. Then, suddenly, Zidane, trembling, released his fiancé and bowed to Drakja in the highest honorable fashion of Alexandria. Drakja's eyes were shining as he watched Zidane straighten himself and clutch, exhausted, onto Garnet once more. The blonde genome's eyes bore into Drakja's.  
  
". . . Thank you . . . For everything . . ."  
  
Drakja said nothing for a moment. He seemed ready to cry. Then, silently, he nodded, sealing the deal. And, much to Lulian's distress, passed out right then. Lulian caught him, whimpering. Doctor Tot scratched his head, blinking.  
  
"Er . . . I guess we should probably put him on my airship along with the others in need of some, uh, medical attention . . ." Tot was still staring at Drakja, smirking. "Your doing I presume?" He turned to Zidane. Zidane hesitated, then grinned.  
  
". . . Heh . . . I guess you could say that too . . ."  
  
So much had happened, so many things had passed. The sky outside had never looked so beautiful. Though not everything was yet made right, there was finally hope. So many wrongs of the past had been fixed, so many had redeemed themselves. So many evils had been purged of Gaia. So many lessons learned . . .  
  
It was safe to say that, in the end, those who were true were the ones who won. Those who believed in the goodness of others had prevailed. It was a lesson Saishoja had missed in his life and a lesson he had then passed onto his brother. Indeed, that had been the plan all along. It was so obvious now what the dead-man had been doing. He had allowed all the mistakes of Terra to be reenacted and then he'd made sure they were fixed this time around. He'd given them all a second chance. None within the Fire Shrine ever saw Saishoja again. Only Kuja, on his death-bed so many, many years later, ever saw the beautiful man again. And that was because Saishoja was, of course, present at the reclaiming of his son. That was the amazing part of it all . . . Drakja had cured the limit on Kuja's life through the heroic sacrifice of his own (though both were, amazingly, spared) . . . Kuja had been, indeed, granted another chance. He could, conceivably, live as long as any normal person.  
  
And, indeed, he did . . .  
  
The crew did not care about the celebrations of Gaia. They did not show up when Garland's ashes were swept from the floor and scattered publicly into the sea. No, there were much more important things to do . . . Injuries that needed to heal, dead to be buried. It would take time to make the wrong things right . . . But they had won a long, hard battle. They'd learned so much, matured so quickly. The entire ride back to Alexandria, Zidane stayed by Kuja's side in the infirmary of the ship. The rest of the crew was in there too, even the ones who were supposed to be getting treated. They refused to leave one another's sides. Megan sat beside Kuja too, eyes closed. It had been such a long, hard battle. But they'd won . . . They'd really, truly won . . . So many things needed to be done, so much lost time needed to be made up for . . . Later on, the slanderous book about the Great War in Alexandria Castle was rewritten. Its final words on the last page were simple and clear:  
  
". . . And Gaia lived to see another day . . ."  
  
  
  
A/N: . . .What am I supposed to say . . .??? The body of this fic. It's done. Should I thank the academy or somethin' . . .?!! Maybe I should cry . . . glances around NO, THIS IS NOT GOODBYE!!! THE /EPILOGUE/ IS GOODBYE!!! I WILL NOT PRETEND THIS STORY IS OVER!!! Hmph. So this is just a normal author's note . . . Nothing different . . . The story is not done. So there. So what'd you guys think? The end probably came about a little different than expected, ne? Of course, everyone KNEW I wasn't gonna kill Drakja. I mean, really, couldn't you guys tell I enjoyed him as a character? Why would I kill him?!! And for those of you who didn't guess a million years ago that Saishoja and Drakja were brothers . . . bonk I thought it was kinda obvious before, ehe. Maybe it wasn't . . . I don't know. I think, however, that this was a good, substantial finish for the plot. I mean, when you think about it, the only one who lost was Garland. That's a GOOD thing! There're still a few things that need to be wrapped up about some mysteries, but I'm saving those for the epilogue nod.  
  
Okay, here's my little giftie for my WONDERFUL, BEAUTIFUL, KIND-HEARTED, DEVOTED, EVER-PRESENT, ALL-POWERFUL, SIMPLY-SPIFFING, PURE, ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS . . . reviewers.  
  
I did a fanart! Yeah, can you believe it? I actually did something. Now, I'm going to post the link to it (it's on my otherwise empty deviantart account) in the last author's note of this entire story next chapter and it's gonna be dedicated to all my reviewers! Yay!!!  
  
So . . . I guess that's all for now . . . Ehe. REVIEEEEEEEEW!!!  
  
(I'm gonna say my goodbyes and do all the little icings on the cake next chapter! And answer a few question about my future as a fanfiction writer and all that, so hang on! There are a couple of things I need to say in the next chapter concerning things that have been coming up by reviewers, lol. One of them being the web-comic link . . . sweatdrop)  
  
Oh, an interesting note. Several pages of this chapter were actually written more than a year ago. Just goes to show how well I already knew the ending before I started, lol. Actually . . . er . . . I wrote a part of this chapter . . . before I ever even posted chapter one of this fic nervous laughter. Of course, I can't tell y'all which part; that would kinda kill it. HOWEVER, a HUGE part of this ending was changed from the way I originally had it planned out. On my big document that had everything pre-planned, I realized a disturbing imbalance in the final chapter and had to go back and practically rewrite the ending. Er, hopefully no one (like my dad) who already knew the ending (somewhat) will notice . . . I mean, I REALLY remodeled it. Let's just say, if I had stuck to the original ending I had planned out, this would have been about a twelve-page finale. I just realized later on that my previous ending didn't . . . make any sense, lol. In fact, the part of this chapter that was already pre-written required a bit of remodeling BECAUSE of me being stupid . . . .  
  
Oh, Prexistence, you have proof about Sirius?!! Tell me whine!!! Oh, and Kitsune of Destruction, when you get here, er . . . I don't think that was Mikoto talking at the end of the game . . . I mean, we don't know who it was . . . So I just disregarded that entire scene of the story, hee. 


	48. Epilogue: The End of the Beginning

A/N: . . . . . . . . Just read . . . . . . . . . . .  
  
Disclaimer: Forty-eight chapters . . . And I never owned Final Fantasy . . . Cruel, cruel world, I tells ya . . .  
  
  
  
"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."  
  
Sir Winston Churchill  
  
Just outside the base of the infamous Iifa Tree of Gaia, a crew of rather mismatched creatures loitered about. One of them, a young girl, was frolicking among the roots (which were so large that at least six of her could have stood shoulder to shoulder and still had room to spare).  
  
"Wow!" she exclaimed, giggling. "This is the first time I've been able to get this close to the tree without having to fear death!"  
  
"I-it . . . It almost feels wrong . . ." a young black mage nearby murmured, looking about dazedly through his amber eyes.  
  
"The tree is so beautiful when it's clear . . .!" gasped a baffled Burmecian woman. The Dragoon Knight beside her nodded, shielding his eyes from the now blinding sun that roasted slowly above the Pualei Plains. A sun that had not shown itself for months.  
  
"Zidane, where are you going?!!" the youthful queen of Alexandria, Garnet, yelled after her fiancé. Zidane – a young, blue-eyed genome – glanced over his shoulder from a few roots away.  
  
"I just . . . I just wanted to see something . . ."  
  
"Well, have a little patience and wait for her to show up! Don't be rude!"  
  
"So sssssssorry to keep you waiting . . ." came a breathy voice from high up in the vines. A small burst of flames erupted near the trunk of the tree and the next thing the team knew, a fiery creature with aqua-blue skin and glowing yellow eyes arose. Her tongue flickered as it tasted the air and she grinned a devilishly fanged grin.  
  
"The air is clean . . . For the first time in Gaia's history . . . Not even a DROP of Mist remains . . ."  
  
"And we have only you to thank," Beatrix smiled warmly, hand-in-hand with Steiner.  
  
"Think nothing of it," Taki-Bi shook her head, the ends of her thick, muscular pony-tail rattling. "It was my duty . . . As the one that started the Mist's production yet again . . ." She glanced about the group, taking them all in. Only a week had passed since Garland's defeat and they all looked thoroughly exhausted. Like they were just a little bit saturated when it came to adventures.  
  
"So . . . How did you all do . . .?"  
  
"He's dead," Was all Zidane said, sighing. "Garland . . . is dead . . ."  
  
Taki-Bi's golden eyes sparkled. ". . . Congratulations . . . You should be feeling pretty proud, yessssss?"  
  
"We're just a little shocked still, is all," Beatrix explained.  
  
"Yeah, we're not used to a world without that jerk roaming around!" Lani snapped. The Fire-Guard smirked.  
  
"I see . . . Well, I have only one last request now, if you don't mind . . ."  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
Taki-Bi sighed. "I no longer have a purpose in this world. My comrades are dead, Saishoja will be moving on soon, and since Drakja's dead – "  
  
"Er, we didn't, uh, kill Drakja, actually . . ." Zidane muttered, scratching the back of his head. The Fire-Guard flinched, eyes flashing, and gave Zidane such a piercing stare that he felt his insides go numb.  
  
"Wh-what . . .?! Wh-why not . . .?!!"  
  
"Because," said Zidane. "He turned out to be a pretty nice guy. He saved us,"  
  
"HE'S A MURDERING BASTARD!!!"  
  
"He SAVED the life of Saishoja's heir . . . And thus, saved Saishoja . . ."  
  
Taki-Bi fell silent. ". . . I don't understand . . ."  
  
"Drakja almost sacrificed himself to save the lives of Zidane and Kuja," Garnet explained. "We owe him . . . quite a lot . . . actually . . ."  
  
Taki-Bi frowned. "Well, it's still a good thing he didn't show up here or I probably would have broken his ungrateful neck!"  
  
Zidane's lip twitched. "Oh, he won't be going anywhere for awhile . . . He kinda, you know, almost killed himself to save me and Kuja . . . He really, uh, can't walk . . . or move . . . or do much of anything right now . . ."  
  
Taki-Bi let out a dejected "hmph" before continuing. "Well, either way, I still have a quick request,"  
  
". . . Yes . . .?"  
  
"I want you to seal the Fire Shrine . . . Permanently . . ."  
  
Steiner raised an eyebrow. "And to what purpose is this for . . .?"  
  
Taki-Bi's tongue lashed out briefly again. "I will be going back in there to live out my final days. And I won't be leaving. This mutated body I currently use can surely not sustain me much longer. It is only a matter of time before I finally cease to be . . . Please allow the Fire Shrine to remain my final resting place; my tomb, if you will. And allow none to enter . . ."  
  
Zidane's eyes were shining and he nodded.  
  
". . . Then it is done . . ."  
  
Taki-Bi wanted to know the entire story; every last little detail that had happened. The crew obliged, Eiko, perhaps, a little too happily. Zidane, however, slipped away as soon as Taki-Bi and the others had become entranced in the retelling of the tale. He hopped along the roots of the Iifa, figuring Garnet had told him not to run off until Taki-Bi showed up anyways.  
  
He crawled carefully along the thinner vines, pushed through ropes and leaves, and hopped from branch to branch. And then he found it: a small opening in the side of the dome-shaped vines that led into the very heart of the tree. Zidane knew that path well.  
  
It was the one he had taken to rescue Kuja all those years ago . . .  
  
"Kuja, you in here?!!" Zidane yelled, marveling at the triple-echo he received as his only response. There was nothing. The young sorcerer had tagged along with Zidane and the others much to Doctor Tot's distress. The bird-like man had insisted that Kuja was still too weak to walk around but eventually realized there was really no way he could keep the warlock down. Kuja was just too damn stubborn . . .  
  
But when the crew reached the tree, Kuja immediately disappeared. The crew searched for him a little while and then decided the silver-haired man had probably just wandered off by himself like he usually did. But Zidane knew where Kuja was, response or not.  
  
The blonde genome slipped gingerly into the opening of the tree and slid the short way down the vines. He spotted the small platform and this time managed to catch it. Snagging the rim, Zidane hauled himself nimbly onto the conglomeration of leaves. With a sigh he folded his legs and sat. A smirk flickered across his features.  
  
"It sure feels different in here this time around, doesn't it, Kuja? Quieter . . ."  
  
There was a small flicker and Kuja appeared beside Zidane, hugging his knees to his chest. Zidane smiled at his brother.  
  
"Heh . . . I knew you'd come back here . . ."  
  
"I just . . . I just wanted to see it . . . without Mist . . . and attacking vines. I wanted to see the beauty of the tree. But, well, I don't think this location can ever really look beautiful . . . It smells funny . . . Like death . . ."  
  
Zidane lowered his gaze, resting his chin on his knees. "A lot happened to the two of us, ya know? But I think . . . I think we were destined to solve our problems together . . . Like brothers that could not be parted . . ."  
  
Kuja smiled faintly. "Yeah . . . Maybe . . ."  
  
"I . . . uh . . . I have something of yours . . ." Zidane mumbled, fingering at his collar. "I've had it for almost three years now . . . And I guess it's probably time I gave it back . . ."  
  
The genome reached slowly into his shirt. When he withdrew his hand he was clutching a golden chain. Dangling on the end was a single, silver feather. Kuja stared.  
  
"Oh my god . . . That's . . . That's my fourth feather . . . Where did you . . .?"  
  
Zidane sighed, running his fingers against the feather's grain and watching the fur snap back into place. "Do you remember what happened after we defeated all those Mist Monsters that were released from the Iifa Tree?"  
  
Kuja's eyes narrowed. "Of course. I ditched you in the middle of the night and wandered off to a town near Iifa. That was where I first met Megan,"  
  
"Yeah, well, I kinda thought you were dead, ya know . . ." Kuja hesitated. He had never heard Zidane talk about this. Zidane continued, looking sad. "I mean, that day you had seemed really ill. You were such a physical and emotional wreck at the time and I was worried. I thought maybe the limit on your life was coming and you'd just drop dead on me or somethin' . . . And then I woke up . . . And you were gone . . ."  
  
Tears were starting to run down Zidane's pale face. Kuja stared, dumbfounded. Zidane had . . . really cared that much . . .? Nobody had EVER cared about Kuja that much . . .  
  
"And then . . ." Zidane was trembling now, trying to restrain his sobs. "I thought maybe . . . Maybe we'd missed a monster and – and they'd dragged you off in the middle of the night and eaten you! I thought maybe you'd wandered off while I was asleep and collapsed somewhere and then I wouldn't find you and you'd die! I was so scared! And then . . . All I found . . . Was this feather . . . This one, stupid feather . . . And I never let it go . . . And when we ran into each other in Alexandria two and a half years later . . . I . . . I didn't know whether to kill you or throw my arms around you!"  
  
Kuja furrowed his brow. "Zidane, I . . ."  
  
"And now you're going to live a full life! That's . . . That's another fifty years I gotta worry about you now, you big dummy!"  
  
"ZIDANE!!!"  
  
"WHAT?!!"  
  
Kuja threw his arms around his brother, drawing him into his embrace and squeezing him with all his might. "I will never . . . NEVER leave your side again . . . Do you hear me . . .?"  
  
Zidane sniffled and burst into tears, sobbing against Kuja's shoulder. He nodded, clutching the warlock as hard as he possibly could as if letting go would kill them both. He couldn't stop crying for the life of him.  
  
"Don't ever scare me like that again . . . Gods, I don't want to lose you . . ."  
  
". . . And you won't . . ." Kuja whispered, taking Zidane's face firmly into his hands.  
  
". . . I promise . . ."  
  
. . .Two years later . . .  
  
"Oh, come on!" Zidane was stifling a giggle. "It's not so bad!"  
  
"Is it, Zidane?! Is it?!!" Kuja groaned, burying his face in his arms. Zidane tried to hide his smirk, but it was just too damn hard . . .  
  
"Y'know, it COULD be worse . . ."  
  
"How?!" Kuja barked, his voice muffled by the fabric of his sleeves.  
  
"Well, there could be more . . ."  
  
"More?!! MORE?!!" Kuja raised his head furiously, deep blue eyes flashing. "You're one to talk!"  
  
Zidane sighed, patting Kuja sympathetically on the shoulder. "Well, you know what they say . . ."  
  
". . . Don't say it . . ."  
  
"Two heads are – "  
  
"I'm going to kill you – "  
  
". . . Better than one . . ."  
  
Kuja moaned. A faint breeze suddenly fluttered the curtains of the open window nearby and Zidane gave a start upon spotting a young man crouched upon the sill.  
  
"GOD DAMMIT, DRAKJA!!! DON'T SNEAK UP ON US LIKE THAT!!!"  
  
The newcomer smirked, dropping down lightly into the room. His bright green eyes were glowing with joy.  
  
"Well, well, Kuja . . . I just heard the wonderful . . . erm . . . news," Drakja swaggered over to where the sorcerer sat, too miserable to even say hi. It wasn't all that uncommon for Drakja to drop in for a visit around Alexandria Castle. With his advanced teleporting abilities, the distance between his home and Alexandria wasn't such a big deal.  
  
After what Gaians would later refer to as the Fire Shrine Showdown Massacre, all the surviving geonomes had been relocated to none other than the Black Mage Village. The genomes and black mages understood the plight of these poor creatures more than anyone else, all three races having suffered under tyranny and the guilt of bad deeds before someone (in all cases, Zidane and the others) had come to redeem them.  
  
With the help of the incredibly intelligent and efficient geonomes, the village was now prospering beyond belief. It was expected that within a few years the town that was now almost the size of a small suburb would be recognized as an actual power in government.  
  
Of course, the Black Mage Village remained under the protection and rule of both Mikoto and Vivi. Drakja had turned down the offer of representing the geonomes in the village, saying he was tired of being anyone's leader. Vivi's six children were all major contributors for the town, most doing international trading of the village's lead crop: Chocobo eggs (though not the kind for eating).  
  
Everything had settled down quite a bit after the Massacre. The Fire Shrine had been locked and sealed with both magic and bricks. It became a place of honor and beauty to gaze upon from afar and nothing more. No one dared get too close. It was said it was cursed. Major reconstruction efforts had been set up to rebuild the cities and towns that had been destroyed. Those who had evacuated or fled to any particular area had now returned. A ceremony was held for the lives that had been lost, part of the ritual including the scattering of Garland's ashes into the ocean (it was rumored that several teenagers had relieved themselves in the water soon after, yelling that Garland was a "dumb fuck" anyways).  
  
Everything was gliding back on track. Eiko had once more returned to Lindblum under the care of Regent Cid and Lady Hilda. Much to her distress, she was now under training for the taking of the throne when the unfortunate passing of her adoptive parents occurred (hopefully not for many years to come). However, when the Summoner found out that this training would give her experience in bossing people around, she immediately jumped on the position.  
  
Lani and Amarant had disappeared off to the Outer Continent countryside. Some thought they had returned to Madain Sari to live with the moogles. No one was sure. They were gone for more than a year, and then returned to Alexandria seeking jobs as the king and queen's loyal bodyguards. Who could refuse them? They were perfect for the part.  
  
Vivi, as stated before, went back to the Black Mage Village to assist in settling the genomes (and now also the geonomes) back into normal patterns of life.  
  
Freya and Fratley had become leaders in the continuing efforts to restore Burmecia. The city was still in shambles years after Kuja's reign, but Cleyra – most likely out of guilt – had returned to pitch in on the effort to rebuild the beautiful City of Perpetual Rain. Freya and Fratley were now married, of course. They had only invited those from their quest to attend. It had been a sweet, quiet wedding held within Gizamaluke's Grotto before the giant church bell. The neighboring moogles had assisted in performing the ceremony, though a real Burmecian priest had come to wed the two.  
  
Steiner and Beatrix had returned to their posts in Alexandria, Steiner now working to bring the Pluto Knights up to the positions of a second – all male – army in Alexandria. Beatrix was once more the general of the real army – all female – and was a master in teaching the art of attacking teleporting enemies (which made the goblin mages they practiced on very sad). Of course, those two were married as well. It had been a gorgeous ceremony. Garnet had, naturally, demanded only the best for the couple. There had been talk of them having a child, but for now, they were happy simply to be together.  
  
Quina had been given a proper burial beside Queen Brahne in Alexandria's Royal Cemetery. Despite protests from the others, Kuja had paid for it all. Quina was given a place of honor for having died in the line of duty (and yes, the body had been dug up. It had looked unmarked by time; exactly as Zidane had hoped it would).  
  
Another place of honor had been set down for three dead that no passerby could make heads or tails of. The name "Saishoja" meant nothing to them, and similarly, they didn't understand why his wife and son remained unnamed on the other two grave-stones. Zidane figured someday someone would tell the tale . . .  
  
Zidane and Garnet had finally been wed with an enormous, golden ceremony. Half of Gaia seemed to have shown up. So many, in fact, that the actual event – which had started off in a hall of Alexandria Castle – had to be relocated outside on the court-grounds where some people were forced to watch from the rooftops. There were two reasons for this:  
  
#1. This would be Zidane's ascension to the throne of Alexandria.  
  
#2. It was a double wedding.  
  
Yeah, that's right. Poor Kuja, complaining all the way, had been married to the young maiden, Megan Yorokobi. Interestingly enough, neither had proposed to the other – possibly out of fear. It was Megan's grandmother that had pushed the two to do it, saying she'd whip their flesh off if they didn't.  
  
Of course, they didn't say no. That was all that mattered. This group of four was the last to be wed, and all those on the quest had shown up to congratulate them (including all the geonomes and just about the rest of the world). The Tantalus Troupe had attended and Ruby had started crying so hard that Marcus, blushing, had to remove her from the courts.  
  
It seemed everything was right . . .  
  
Except . . .  
  
"Shut up," Kuja growled into his arms. "It's not funny,"  
  
"Oh, but it is," Drakja giggled. "I mean, really . . . twins?!!"  
  
Zidane's lip twitched. He glanced at Drakja. Emerald eyes met stunning aqua.  
  
"Ehe . . . BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" The two were doubled over in laughter, Drakja clutching onto the window-sill just to keep from collapsing.  
  
"It's not funny!!!" Kuja repeated angrily, raising his head and glaring at the hysterical pair. "I can't even handle ONE child let alone TWO!!"  
  
"Oh, grow up!" Zidane snapped. "I've been putting up with the knowledge that I'm about to have a kid for the past six months! Now it's your turn!"  
  
"Yeah, but you found out right away!" Kuja argued. "You've been expecting it! Megan just ran up to me today saying she's due in a few months! I thought she was just fat!"  
  
Zidane seemed to be straining not to cry with laughter. "Well, so our kids will be born at the same time! That'll be cool! We can raise them together, play with them together, listen to them screaming until our eardrums burst together, change their – "  
  
"Gah!" Kuja buried his face again.  
  
Drakja rolled his eyes. "Pathetic . . ."  
  
"I don't want kids!"  
  
"Oh, quit whining!" Zidane yelled. "I happen to like kids, so there!"  
  
"Well, you're the fathering type!" Kuja argued, glaring daggers at his younger brother. "You and Her Majesty are such a good couple and so understanding of little children . . . I mean, you put up with that little Summoner-brat in Lindblum for – how long – five years?"  
  
"And believe me . . ." Zidane muttered. "She was ALL the training I needed . . ." Drakja stifled another giggle.  
  
"I can't wait to see Kuja wandering around in the middle of the night trying to shut up some screaming baby, heehee . . ."  
  
"And if it won't be quiet," Zidane offered. "You could always Ultima it to death,"  
  
Kuja leapt to his feet at that one. "Gods, Zidane, that's disgusting!"  
  
"Hey, killing little babies never bothered you before!"  
  
"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY ABOUT KILLING BABIES?!!"  
  
Zidane and Kuja both paled simultaneously, whipping around only to find a livid Queen Garnet and Megan standing in the doorway. Garnet was trembling with rage and Megan . . . Well, Megan was practically foaming at the mouth. It had always been a joke in the castle that she was one of the few people alive whose fury could tame the great Kuja.  
  
"O-oh . . . D-Dagger, honey . . ." Zidane was bright red.  
  
Garnet snarled. "Some father you are!" she shrieked. "Killing babies?!! Gods, Zidane!!"  
  
"And you!" Megan stormed furiously into the room and poked Kuja angrily in the shoulder. "How many times have I told you not to kill things?!!"  
  
Kuja should have felt hardly threatened by the young woman who had to be at least six inches shorter than he was. Still, he was cowering under the fierce gaze magnified by the deactivated Summoner's shining glasses.  
  
"Um . . . About . . . twenty-four times . . .?"  
  
"THIRTY-TWO, KUJA!!!" Megan squeaked, giving the sorcerer another shove. Drakja was laughing hysterically.  
  
"You stay out of this!" Garnet barked at the green-eyed man. "Or I'll step on your tail so hard it'll snap like a dried-out twig!"  
  
Drakja blanched and took a step back. "Yeesh, I'm outta here . . . You two can deal with the misses . . ." And with a "pop" he was gone.  
  
However, the foursome left arguing within the room didn't realize they were being watched. Outside the window, a pair of sightless eyes followed their every move, the face that held them twisted into a warm smile. The man that stood outside the castle walls was beautiful. His silvery hair – like silk threads – ran down his back and into a thick braid. His skin was flawless. And, oddly enough, he seemed to glow.  
  
"Aren't they precious?" he queried, smirking. "I'm so glad they can be happy now. No more Mist, thanks to dear old Madeline . . . Zidane's soul is now preserved, the Theory of Planetary Magnetism has been deleted, and the limit on Kuja's life is gone . . . And no more Garland, thanks to them all . . ."  
  
"Ah, young love . . ." The equally beautiful woman beside the man sighed dramatically, leaning on his arm and nuzzling him gently. "Oh, Saishoja, do you remember when we first fell in love . . .?"  
  
Saishoja chuckled, running his fingers gently through the woman's thick, mahogany hair. She, too, seemed to glow.  
  
"Oh, how could I forget? It was back on Terra; back when everything was still calm. I took one look at you and, gods, I couldn't stop thinking about you for the rest of the day . . . And do you know what I thought of first?"  
  
". . . What . . .?"  
  
"Your eyes . . . Those beautiful, violet eyes . . ."  
  
The woman sighed again, smiling. ". . . Saishoja . . . When do you think we'll see Him again . . .?"  
  
". . . Not until Kuja's passing, I'm afraid . . ."  
  
She smiled sadly. "I will wait it out . . . We may not be able to return to Heaven without our son's soul or until you've guided your brother's tainted one back to Heaven with you, but we no longer have to be angry, wandering spirits of Gaia . . ."  
  
Saishoja gently wrapped his arms around the woman's shoulders, hugging her tightly. She gripped his cloak hard, sighing yet again.  
  
"Demeter . . . I'm never letting you leave my side again . . . I lost you once before; far too early . . . And then couldn't find you in Heaven . . . From now on, we will be together . . . Waiting . . . Until that wonderful day when our family is reunited . . ."  
  
"Yes . . . That is what I want . . ."  
  
And as their lips seemed to brush, they faded away forever . . .  
  
THE END  
  
  
  
A/N: Wham, bam, thank you fic. And . . . it is over. Wow. I guess . . . I guess that's it, huh? So . . . how was that . . .? Yeah, weird, I know . . . Erm . . . I don't exactly know what to say here. No soy bien con los adioses (I'm not good at goodbyes). Damn Spanish class. So, uh, here come all the things I want to say:  
  
First of all, I have posted Kuja88's review now (though I had to review my own fic to do so). Incredible how Kuja88 figured that out so early on . . . Though I'm sure a few people suspected. So I guess Demeter's secret's out. That probably clears up a lot, lol. I thought the truth about her was most obvious in chapter . . . I dunno, it was the Dolor Animus chapter where she talks about how she can enter people's souls and stuff and then, while she's showing Megan all those weird visions she explains that only souls can enter one another. But, uh, guess no one picked up on that one big grin. I gotta say, that was a rather eccentric cast of original characters. But that's nothing compared to my web-comic. I'll get there in a second . . .  
  
FYI, the reason I chose Demeter for the purple-eyed lady's name was because of the story of Demeter. She was the Greek goddess of fertility 0.o who became Ceres in Roman mythology (some people might have read the Ayashi No Ceres/Ceres: A Celestial Legend manga series. It's quite good). According to mythology, Demeter's child died/got lured and went to Hell. Demeter then starved herself in the disguise of an old crone to go down into Hades to retrieve her daughter (Persephone). Anyone see it now??  
  
Okay, moving on. First of all, I've got to go through all my thanks. Pardon me while I ramble:  
  
First off, a special thanks to my dad, who read quite a bit of this story and helped me correct errors and weird sentences along the way. He may not have understood everything that was going on (though he knew the gist of it all) but he still put up with my incessant nagging to read each chapter before I got mauled by a pack of reviewers with flaming torches.  
  
Second of all, a big thanks to my friend Crystal (AKA poohsbestfriend as a reviewer) for becoming the much-needed inspiration for Triss (not to mention she picked the name and asked for the cool spike-soled boots, heehee). You made a really great character who was almost too fun to write. She was so evil, lol . . .  
  
Also, another big thanks to Athena (of Mute Hall and Origin of the Dark Messenger, which are two of the most exceptional Final Fantasy IX fanfictions in existence) for giving me a big boost of morale and mentioning my fic in one of her chapters. That meant a lot to me.  
  
And last and probably of the highest honor: A BIG GLOMPIN' THANK YOU TO ALL MY WONDERFUL REVIEWERS!!! YOU GUYS WERE WHAT MADE THE FIC! IF NOT FOR Y'ALL, I NEVER COULD HAVE FINISHED!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I LOVE Y'ALL FOREVER!!!  
  
And now onto some other important thinga-majiggies . . .  
  
#1. The fanart. Just go to my deviantart account at blackmajam.deviantart plus a good old .com. This site doesn't let you post websites . . . Click on the picture once to go to the picture's section, then click a second time to enlarge. Hope y'all like. I did it kinda awhile ago and my drawing skills have improved immensely since then. I drew it in the early days of setting up my style which, as you should easily be able to see, is very Yuki Kaori in style (Angel Sanctuary, Count Kain). I just couldn't resist the lure of giving Zidane polka-dot pants . . . So sue me, lol. I also just learned how to color, so hopefully my skills in that department will improve as well. Go check it out! As you will see, it's dedicated to all my reviewers! (I wish I could have done a better picture! I suck!)  
  
#2. The web-comic. Yes, it is still going to happen! I will be back eventually with some random chapter to stick on the end of this thing (like a poem or somethin') that will have the link. I'm so, so sorry about this! The site that's hosting me is being difficult . . . Just so you know, if you liked the kind of patterns this plot had, you will definitely like the web-comic. The comic is similar in structure and many of the original characters sort of came from it (the comic came first, ehe). So set your accounts to alert you of when I'm back or just keep checking up on me. But whatever you do, don't forget about me!!! I'll be back in a few months, damn it!  
  
#3. Some people have asked if my career as a fanfiction writer is over. Psh, of course not! I doubt I will ever start another full-length novel like this one (because the web-comic will take up so much time) but I am already working on some short stories. So far, in production, I have an Inuyasha one-shot entitled "Love is a Promise" that will be one of those Sesshoumaru shows that he actually has a heart sort of a things. And I do have a few Final Fantasy IX one-shots that are much farther in progress than my Inuyasha one entitled. The farthest one is called "The Analyst." It has to be one of the weirdest things I have ever written . . . It's starring Kuja and . . . Shiva. But not Kuja x Shiva shudder. The other is called "Incomplete Angel" and it is another completely weird Kuja fic. FYI, in both fics Kuja is dead . . . Eh, you'll see when I get them up. But both involve a lot of Zidane . . . I always like fics starring Zidane and Kuja.  
  
And I guess that about wraps it up. I thought I'd be fifteen by the time this story ended, but I guess not, lol.  
  
THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYBODY!!! WAIT FOR MY WEB-COMIC LINK, ALRIGHTY?!! AND KEEP CHECKING MY DEVIANTART ACCOUNT!!! YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN I'LL STICK SOMETHING NEW IN THERE cough DOUJINSHI PAGE FROM THIS FANFIC cough !!!  
  
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Owari . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 


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